(Eagle News) — Before entering the Philippines, supertyphoon Soudelor passed over Saipan late Sunday night and early Monday, wreaking havoc on the island as its powerful winds ripped off roofs of homes, toppled power poles and its rains flooding roads and establishments, including power plants.
The Pacific Daily News reported that typhoon Soudelor made a direct hit on Saipan which has been delared as in a “state of disaster.” Hundreds of Saipan residents are now in shelters and some roads remained impassable, while power and water services are out.
“I’ve seen multiple primary power poles down; I’ve seen cars flipped over the road; I’ve seen lots of torn roofs,” said John Hirsh, executive director of the American Red Cross in Saipan, as quoted by The Pacific Daily News.
It reported that damage was “extensive” across the island and that there was significant damage to public infrastructure, quoting Hirsh of the American Red Cross which made an initial assessment.
“The typhoon’s full force was felt between 11 p.m. Sunday to around 1 a.m. Monday, Hirsh said, and at the time, it felt like the island took “a direct hit,” reported the Pacific Daily News.
Soudelor, which was named Hanna, after it entered the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR), is considered to be a supertyphoon with maximum winds of up to 215 kilometers per hour and gustiness of up to 250 kilometers per hour. It is forecast to move west northwest at 20 kph in the country.
As of 9 a.m. today, typhoon Hanna was located at 1390km East of Calayan, Cagayan (19.5°N, 134.7°E).
According to PAGASA, typhoon Hanna is not expected to make landfall in the country but will just enhance the Southwest Monsoon or “habagat” bringing more rains.
