So, That Happened… Super Typhoon Yutu
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Super Typhoon Yutu Destroyed Saipan
On the night of October 24-25, 2018, Super Typhoon Yutu, the largest storm to ever be recorded, made landfall in the Mariana Islands. Specifically, Tinian was decimated as the eye of the Super Typhoon slowly crossed over. Meanwhile, the southern tip of Saipan dealt with the eyewall sitting on top of us for hours. Saipan sustained winds of over 175 mph for over four hours straight while having to withstand gusts that exceeded 225 mph.
By the early morning, as the sun finally revealed what had been hidden in the dark, we were able to see the extensive damage. What we saw is incomparable to anything I’ve ever witnessed.
Complete and utter destruction.
Chaos.
My side of the island was no longer.
Paradise was lost.
The Plus Category 5 Super Typhoon (Yes, you read that correctly. That is a PLUS Cat 5. The winds broke the measuring scale.) was the storm to measure all future storms against. I witnessed my personal paradise be reduced to piles of rubble. Over 3,000 homes were destroyed, leaving thousands homeless. Those houses that still stood, like mine, suffered lost roofs, wind damage, and flooding. Schools are flattened. Entire neighborhoods erased.
To watch my night spent with Typhoon Yutu, click here for part one, click here for part two, and click here for part three. (Fair warning: I drop the F-bomb quite a bit in the last set of videos. You can tell my frustration level was at its max peak.)
At the time of this writing, we are almost a month into this tragedy and still have no power. We are being told that it could be restored as soon as February. (It’s only mid-November now) As well as living months and months with no power, there is also no water. (UPDATE BELOW)
(Be sure to click through this entire picture set to see more photos of the storm damage.)
Thankfully, the cell tower system remained intact and we never lost cell coverage. I can only imagine how scary not being able to see if I was alive or dead would have been for my mom, and I am so thankful I was able to stay on top of updates.
We were able to get portable wi-fi for the house, so after a week we were able to watch Netflix again in the evenings. You cannot imagine what a luxury getting to lay down and do something as normal as watch Netflix in your own bed is after busting your butt chopping up banana trees all day.
As for our house, though she still stands, she took one hell of a beating. We lost two a/c units, several windows, our deck walls, and the tin roof over our deck. Our truck got the front smashed in really well. Our cisterns got busted up and we didn’t have hardly any water the first week. And, like the rest of the island, there are no trees standing in our yard.
Since he didn’t have a livable room thanks to a busted out window and no a/c, I took J to Guam for a week after we were finally able to leave the island. He needed a hot shower and a quiet place to decompress. Though I don’t talk about it very often, my son has Autism. This storm was hard enough on all of us but on him the most. His stress levels were enough that I knew he needed to get away from living in a nightmare.
Once we got over to Guam, we talked about relocating our family there, especially since Tommy’s job is actually based out of Guam. But once we got there and realized just how expensive the cost of living in Guam is, we decided to consider other alternatives.
So, J and I flew back to America to take a break and try to collect our thoughts. We’ve been here just over a week, and I am already ready to go back to Saipan. Even though she is totally destroyed, and it may be months before we have power again, I need to get back to my rock. My puppies are still there, and until he gets a new job, my husband is there, as well. Until we have another option, for now, my life is still in Saipan.
Lessons Learned from Typhoon Yutu
I believe that everything in life happens to you because you are meant to learn something from it. I’ve been reflecting back on the past three weeks, trying to see what lessons life wanted to me to catch. Here are my takeaways:
- There’s no such thing as too much insurance.
- Don’t count on anyone to rescue you. They aren’t coming.
- Never assume that just because the last storm missed you, this one will.
- The people you think will be there for you probably won’t be.
- The media isn’t going to pay attention to you unless you make great TV. Poor islanders aren’t good for ratings.
- Emergencies aren’t convenient. Your emergency supply pile needs to be always stocked. Do it NOW.
- The Red Cross won’t call you back.
- FEMA is a joke.
- There is no disaster evacuation assistance for Americans that no one has ever heard of. Yet, we still have to pay taxes. Go figure.
- You can really only count on yourself at the end of the day. That’s it.
We are trying to pick up the literal and figurative pieces of our life and put them back together. We have to either replace our car or drive a smashed up, mildewed mess. I was able to save most of our things thanks to a dehumidifier, but if we have to move once Tommy (hopefully) finds a new job in America we will be starting from the very beginning. We really only own two beds, two couches, and two desks but they are all water damaged and I’m not paying to ship them back to us.
The media has all but ignored this disaster. Saipan is a United States Commonwealth, yet because we are so far removed from the rest of the US, we are by and largely forgotten about. So many people I know contacted the media on my behalf. We got no responses.
50,000 people lost power, water, and their way of life and the media barely noticed.
China and Korea were able to bring in their military to evacuate their nationals who were visiting Saipan during the storm within the first 72 hours after the storm. Yet, I could not get the US government to help me with evacuations for our family or pets.
Hell, I wasn’t even asking for a free ride – just maybe a little discount. To evacuate all of us it would have cost us $7,000. Since we didn’t have that kind of disposable cash we weren’t able to all leave.
Tommy’s job sent him to Hong Kong for a few weeks while our house gets repaired. J and I are in Tennessee. And, my puppies are still in Saipan with a puppy sitter.
Tommy will be returning to Saipan in a few days. J and I will return to Saipan soon. And hopefully, we will be relocating sooner than later. Active job hunting is Tommy’s new part-time job. I’m praying with all my might that he finds a job here soon, and we can put this chapter behind us.
The issue with returning for me isn’t even having to face the destruction and pain head-on again. It’s not having electricity or water. Even though we have a generator to run a/c and internet on, it is very expensive so it can’t be run all the time. Which makes for some hot days and nights in that house.
I realize just how lucky I am that we even still have a house. So many of my neighbors lost everything. I feel like how dare I complain that I’m sweating when I get to lay my head down in my bed every night.
I am grateful we all made it out alive and with barely any cuts and bruises. Tommy and I were in J’s room when the window blew out. It was like a bomb went off, and how neither of us managed to not get killed is nothing short of a miracle in my book.
After living through the scariest night of my life I’ve realized that I can’t continue to stay in a place where this isn’t just a maybe, but a when is it going to happen again? I need to leave Saipan for my sanity. I don’t think I will ever truly feel safe there again.
I know every place has its own risks that you assume when you live there. However, I really don’t ever want to hear the wind that loud again. Our entire place was humming with vibrations. The center wall that runs through our house was swaying back and forth and I was positive that the entire house was going to collapse on us. I never, never want to go through anything like that again.
There aren’t many places that you can donate to if you wish to help, but I feel very comfortable sharing one fundraiser for Saipan and Tinian post-Typhoon Yutu.
The Marianas Young Professionals group has been very active on the ground to help with Typhoon Yutu recovery and relief efforts. Every dollar donated goes straight to the very people who need it the most. Please, I know it’s close to the holidays, and there are so many stories out there that pull at your purse strings, but if you can even give a dollar, please do. So many people lost everything, and these people do not have insurance or the means to rebuild. Please donate, if you can. Thank you on behalf of my neighbors.
https://www.instagram.com/p/Bpcu0NAn4NC/
Stay strong, Marianas. I stand in awe of your fortitude, your indomitable spirit, and your willingness to begin again. This typhoon may have knocked Saipan down, but you can best believe the people of my island home will come back stronger than ever.
I have never known people who are so kind, nor so optimistic in the face of insurmountable destruction. Through all of the loss, destruction, and pain I have witnessed nothing but the best of the human spirit from my neighbors. They have reminded me not to give up. That we can do hard things. And that there is always a second chance.
UPDATE, DECEMBER 2018:Â
The power to our home was restored on day 32. As of this writing (7 weeks post-storm), more than 50% of the island has power restored. However, the damage is significant and recovery will take a long time.
We have the a/c units back on our house. Our car got a windshield as of yesterday! Our porch is almost restored (no roof as of yet, but hopefully soon). We are still waiting on windows for the living room and J’s bedroom. Once they are installed, we will be totally recovered from the physical damages to our home and vehicle.
I know just how incredibly lucky I am to be able to say that. SO MANY people in Saipan are still homeless and will be for a long time to come.
J and I are still in the United States. Tommy just left Saipan this morning to visit us for Christmas. We haven’t seen him since we left Guam the first week of November. Needless to say, we are anxious for him to get here. I haven’t seen my puppies since November 1, and I am just so sad without them. I fully understand what an “Emotional Support Pet” means now. I can’t wait to get back to them!
J and I will be returning to Saipan next month. Even though I am beyond anxious to get home to Clarabelle and Paco, and I am not excited to come back to Saipan. I have a fair amount of trauma from the storm, and I am nervous about how I will feel to return. I don’t want to feel scared to go back home, and so I am spending what time I have left in America working through those emotions and trying to come up with a game plan to deal with my anxiety.
Even with that worry – I can’t wait to get back to Saipan. My soul has missed those sunsets.
To read more about Saipan, check out these past posts:
Why I Won’t Be Spending Forever In Saipan
Saipan Series: Moving Pets To Saipan
Saipan Series: Island Oddities
Thanks for stopping by! This was a very hard post for me to write, as you can tell by the fact that it took me a month to completely write it. That night was the scariest night of my entire life. Re-living it through telling the story was difficult, but the people of Saipan and Tinian need their story told. They are who I hope to become someday: resilient, strong, and above all else- peaceful. Think happy thoughts, y’all!
Biba Marianas!!
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