SAIPAN — Nearly two months after Super Typhoon Sinlaku’s April 13 landfall, roughly half of Saipan’s power customers are back on the Commonwealth Utilities Corporation grid even as generation capacity now exceeds pre-storm levels, according to the Joint Information Center’s Friday situation report.
About 50% of CUC’s 15,493 electrical customers on Saipan had power as of Friday, with feeder demand to energized customers at 24.2 megawatts. Total available generation stands at 34.7 megawatts across Power Plants 1 and 4 and the Aggreko temporary units, surpassing the approximately 30 megawatts of peak demand before the storm.
The JIC said the remaining gap is in distribution, not generation. Restoration work continues on damaged power poles, transmission infrastructure and lateral lines throughout the villages, and full restoration can only be achieved once both systems are repaired. As of the most recent counts, 631 poles were down with 107 replaced, along with 552 downed transformers and 705 damaged crossarms. Of 278 transformers retrieved and tested as of May 27, 129 passed, 136 failed and 13 were pending repairs.
All primary feeder lines on Saipan are at or near full restoration, with Feeder 4 at 90% and crews now securing laterals and connecting customers in Garapan, Navy Hill, Kagman, As Teo, Dandan Homestead, Fina Sisu, Koblerville, San Antonio and along Beach Road. CUC noted some areas remain only partially energized due to limited material supplies.
For the June 12 to 16 work plan, CUC crews are scheduled in San Roque along Santa Remedios Road, at the Joeten-Kiyu Public Library, in Chalan Kiya along Magellan Drive and Chalan Kiya Drive, and in San Vicente at Facey Farms and the upper village area. Guam Power Authority crews are assigned to China Town, Kagman, where water wells are being prioritized, and Papago Drive. An updated restoration plan is expected Tuesday, June 16.
On Tinian, 555 of 1,059 electrical customers, or 52%, had been restored as of June 8, including 399 residential, 122 commercial and 34 government accounts. Feeders 3 and 4 were energized May 28. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and CUC continue adjusting transformer protection settings after the parallel generator setup powering the grid tripped twice.
Water production on Saipan reached 10.5 million gallons per day out of a normal 11.5 million, with 107 wells running on a mix of grid, CUC generator and FEMA generator power. Systemwide, 92% of tank service area customers had 24-hour water service as of June 11. San Vicente remains the furthest behind at 50%, followed by As Matuis at 60%. The boil water notice remains in effect islandwide. Tinian water service is 99% online, with the Carolinas Heights booster pump restored June 6 on a FEMA generator.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has collected 55,236 cubic yards of debris on Saipan and 10,919 cubic yards on Tinian. Crews began Sector 5, covering Kagman 1, 2 and 3 and Lau Lau, on Friday. Three final sectors, covering Capitol Hill, As Teo, Papago, Talofofo, Wireless and Marpi, begin June 22, with the published schedule running through June 30 on Saipan and July 4 on Tinian. Residents are asked to sort debris into separate piles for vegetative debris, large appliances, construction materials, sheet metal, electronics and household hazardous materials, placed along the public right-of-way without blocking roads, hydrants or utility meters. Regular household trash will not be collected. Residents who need help lifting or sorting, including those assisting the manamko’, can call the Department of Public Works at (670) 235-9570. The USACE debris hotline is (670) 588-9850.
The STRONG Tent and Roofing Mission has completed 1,419 tent installations and 656 temporary roofs across the three islands, including 1,229 tents and 546 roofs on Saipan, 180 tents and 83 roofs on Tinian, and 10 tents and 27 roofs on Rota.
Federal assistance continues to grow. FEMA has received 11,616 Individual Assistance registrations and awarded $26,205,358.72 through the Individuals and Households Program, including $1.82 million in housing assistance and $24.38 million in other needs assistance. The U.S. Small Business Administration has received 955 loan applications and approved $11,984,000 in disaster loans. The application window for both programs closes Monday, June 22.
The Commonwealth Healthcare Corporation will hold medical outreach events from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on June 17 at Lucky De Supermarket in Dandan, June 23 at the NAP Office in As Lito with a WIC pop-up clinic and flu and COVID-19 vaccinations, June 26 at the Multi-Purpose Center in Susupe and June 30 at the Saipan Mayor’s Office in Susupe. Residents should bring a valid ID and insurance information if available.