It’s been three weeks since Super Typhoon Sinlaku hit the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, or CNMI.
Winds in excess of 145 miles per hour downed over 620 power poles in Saipan, and nearly all of the island remains without electricity. Its hospital is operating on power from a generator sent by the U.S. Navy.
Karl Banks is the Water Emergency Team incident commander for a team dispatched by the Environmental Protection Agency out of the Region 9 office in California.
According to Banks, the team’s focus has been on restoring clean water as hazardous material cleanup efforts have been turned over to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
“The main thrust of our work has been to test water from the sources of water that people use on the island, as the water that comes from CUC is potable and meets all standards,” Banks said, referring to the Commonwealth Utilities Corporation.
“So we've taken samples all around the island from water vendors, from public water systems… and by taking the samples and providing some technical assistance, we've been able to make sure that water is indeed meeting standards,” Banks reported.
Crews from Guam are assisting in the island’s recovery. Water is being slowly restored, and it is estimated that power may not be fully restored for another 90 days.
So far, the super typhoon has killed 17 people, including half a dozen mariners whose cargo ship was found overturned in the open ocean.
According to Banks, the situation was less dire on other islands in the CNMI, like Tinian and Rota.
“Generally speaking, though, the infrastructure is smaller, it also is in better standing at this point,” Banks said. “So what we can say is that they're in somewhat better shape.”
As emergency response efforts to Super Typhoon Sinlaku strengthen, Banks stated that the EPA would be stepping back to allow recovery to continue.
“The good news is that the bulk of the emergency response work for drinking water and wastewater has been completed,” Banks said.
“We are mandated to step back, so we're going to be leaving here in about a week, but we're trying to do our best due diligence to make sure we don't leave anyone with unmet needs,” Banks said.
This story aired on The Conversation on May 5, 2026. The Conversation airs weekdays at 11 a.m. Jinwook Lee adapted this story for the web.
