HONOLULU (AP) – President Barack Obama has declared the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands a disaster area and is ordering federal aid to help the U.S. territory in the aftermath of a destructive typhoon.
The White House on Thursday announced the disaster declaration for Typhoon Soudelor, which destroyed homes, snapped utility poles and toppled trees over the weekend on the 48-square-mile island of Saipan.
The commonwealth remains without electricity and water, and residents are rationing fuel. Most major roadways have been cleared of uprooted trees and debris, Saipan resident Glen Hunter said.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency said damage surveys were ongoing. More than 500 people on Saipan were in shelters, according to the Red Cross.
About 50,000 people live on the commonwealth’s four populated islands, with most residing on Saipan, which took the brunt of the storm.