Extreme Category 5 Typhoon Yutu makes a devastating landfall in Northern Mariana Islands, a U.S. ter
Source: Washington Post
Extreme Category 5 Typhoon Yutu makes a devastating landfall in Northern Mariana Islands, a U.S. territory
Tied for the strongest storm on Earth this year, Yutu represents another catastrophic strike to part of the United States.
By Chris Mooney
October 24 at 2:25 PM
Supertyphoon Yutu, tied for the strongest storm anywhere in the world in 2018, slammed into the U.S. commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands on Thursday local time, with weather agencies predicting extreme destruction.
The storm, with 180-mile-per-hour sustained winds, was set to create “devastating damage” in the Pacific islands east of the Philippines, said the National Weather Service in Guam. Much of the island of Saipan and all of the island of Tinian were entirely enveloped within the eye of the massive cyclone, as residents hunkered down in the early hours of the morning.
“Most homes will sustain severe damage with potential for complete roof failure and wall collapse,” the service continued. “Most industrial buildings will be destroyed.”
The governor’s office of the Mariana islands called on residents to “shelter-in-place.” Local news media in Saipan, the Marianas capitol, reported that emergency shelters had been quickly filled and more shelters were opened to accommodate additional refuge seekers.
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Read more: https://www.washingtonpost.com/energy-environment/2018/10/24/extreme-category-typhoon-yutu-makes-devastating-landfall-northern-mariana-islands-us-commonwealth/
