New storm hits Northern Islands

Still reeling from the severe battering it took from supertyphoon Songda, the islands of Alamagan, Pagan and Agrihan got a second punch from Mother Nature yesterday, as tropical storm Sarika approached the islands.

Gov. Juan N. Babauta placed the islands under a storm condition declaration, as weather forecasters predicted Sarika’s damaging winds to further intensify.

As of 7pm last night, the Emergency Management Office said Sarika wielded 65mph-strong winds that were expected to further intensify.

At this time, the National Weather Service located Sarika about 80 miles northeast of Alamagan, 75 miles east-southeast of Pagan, and 85 miles east-southeast of Agrihan. The storm moved northwesterly at 17mph.

The EMO said the storm was expected to become a typhoon last night. A storm becomes a typhoon when wind strength reached at least 75mph.

Storm winds rapidly intensified from 55mph in the afternoon as it tracked to the Northern Islands.

As of 2pm, the storm moved west-northwest at 18mph, when it was located about 155 miles east of Alamagan, 165 miles east-southeast of Pagan, and 195 miles east-southeast of Agrihan.

Food and water supply relief just came to Alamagan and Agrihan Friday to address looming shortages. The EMO managed to deliver the goods via helicopter, just as the skies cleared up in the Northern Islands following the onslaught of Songda.

Before relief arrived, the Emergency Operations Center reported that Agrihan’s residents only had 10 gallons of water remaining as of Thursday afternoon, while those at Alamagan only had about a week’s supply of water. She said food supplies on the two islands were low, while that on Pagan was enough for three months consumption.

Recent reports said that some 36 people reside in the three northern islands—13 on Agrihan, 12 on Alamagan, and 11 on Pagan. The residents reportedly took refuge on underground shelters as Songda approached the islands.

Songda totally destroyed two houses and blew away roofs of two other houses on Alamagan and Agrihan. On Pagan, Castro said two houses were destroyed, while a boat got totally damaged. The supertyphoon totally damaged the three northern islands’ crops.

Songda spared the islands of Saipan and Tinian from a possible one-two punch after supertyphoon Chaba recently heavily devastated the two islands and Rota. The EOC reported no major damage resulting from Songda’s storm winds last Tuesday night until Wednesday morning, except for the temporary evacuation of some 148 residents to Saipan shelters due to heavy rains that caused flooding.