CNMI hunkers down

Several business establishments on Saipan ceased operations as early as before noon yesterday due to the impending threat of Super Typhoon Yutu, which was expected to directly hit the island.

Schools also closed, with several public schools used as typhoon shelters. All the other hotel construction developments were suspended, with workers securing equipment and materials.

Weather bulletin regularly released by the CNMI Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Management stated that Yutu was packing maximum sustained winds of 150 miles per hour (241 kilometers per hour) and moving northwest at 12 mph. Typhoon warnings are in effect on all three major islands as Yutu is forecasted to intensify into a Category 5 storm.

Banks, restaurants, and other shops closed down and have boarded up while long lines are seen in stores as residents and tourists stocked up on food and other essentials like water and candles.

Imperial Pacific International (CNMI) LLC suspended the operation of its casino; construction work on the hotel was also halted.

IPI’s human resources and administration department issued the order at around 10:30am yesterday, almost at the same time that its construction workers were told to go home after securing the work site.

“Considering Typhoon Yutu will last for the coming 24 hours, our top management has decided to shut down the casino operation by noon today (Wednesday) for safety reasons,” said IPI’s order. “The casino will resume normal operations around three hours after the cancellation of the Typhoon Condition 1 by the government. The actual resume time will be confirmed.”

The U.S. Postal Service also closed its offices on Saipan, Rota, and Guam, with all of their facilities to remain closed until further notice.

The Saipan post office ceased its operations at 1pm while Rota was closed the entire day yesterday. Guam halted its services at around 3pm.

“The [USPS] decisions regarding the resumption of services will be guided by information and directives issued by local public safety officials,” said USPS in an official release.

Bank of Hawaii closed its Saipan branch today, Wednesday, Oct. 24, and will remain closed until further notice. All Guam operations were closed at noon and will remain closed through today, Oct. 25. The bank will reassess the status of Guam branches.

BOH’s call center operations, based in Kapolei, Oahu, remain open to assist customers. Online and mobile banking services will continue to operate unless power interruptions are experienced. Bank of Hawaii will also place public updates on all of its social media platforms (Facebook: www.facebook.com/bankofhawaii, Instagram: www.instagram.com/bankofhawaii and Twitter: www.twitter.com/bankofhawaii), as well as its website: www.boh.com.

Bank of Guam branches on Saipan, Rota and Tinian did not open yesterday and will remain closed until further notice. Its Guam branches closed at noon yesterday, soon after the Guam government declared Condition of Readiness 2. External ATMs closed at 6pm, and in-store ATMs will remain open as the stores are operating. Customer support was also not available yesterday beginning at 6pm.

Both First Hawaiian Bank branches on Saipan were closed yesterday and will reopen once it has been deemed safe to do so. FHB customers may access their accounts via FHB Online and FHB Mobile app or may call the FHB Customer Service Center at 1-888-844-4444.

The U.S. Coast Guard closed the ports of Guam, Rota, Saipan, and Tinian, to include 12 miles around Guam, Rota, Saipan, and Tinian, prohibiting any vessel movement or port facility operations without specific written approval.

The Coast Guard’s Captain of the Port Guam also established port heavy weather condition for the CNMI on Oct. 23 at 10pm and remains in effect. This is set when winds above 39 mph are predicted within 12 hours. This port closures will remain in effect until lifted.

Northern Marianas College campuses on Saipan, Tinian, and Rota will be closed today, Oct. 24, 2018. Classes scheduled for today have been canceled.  All student activities and events (including the Silent Walk and Student Success series) scheduled for this week have been postponed until further notice.

The Customer Service payment office of the Commonwealth Utilities Corp. was open yesterday up to 1pm to accommodate customers who needed to buy power tokens or get their power services restored.

The CNMI Judiciary remained closed yesterday. There was no immediate word on when it will re-open.

In Guam, classes were held at the University of Guam yesterday morning as scheduled. UOG remained open until 12pm. Employees were then asked to secure their areas in preparation for the storm. Visit www.uog.edu/updates for the latest campus news.

The Guam Legislature was open in the morning, but closed at noon, when the Condition of Readiness 2 was declared. COR 2 was declared at noon, at which time the Legislature closed.