The Bartolata family returned to a home in Chalan Kanoa where floodwaters had risen to hip level, soaking nearly everything they owned as Super Typhoon Sinlaku swamped homes near Susupe Lake.
“Yeah, the deep of the water is like my hips,” said George Bartolata, recalling how quickly the flooding worsened. He estimated that “80%” of their belongings—appliances, clothes, and household items—were ruined. “Electronic items… even in the bed sheet, bed, everything. You name it.”
The family evacuated at the height of the storm, bringing only essential documents. “Only the important, like the documents, that’s it,” he said.
For Sally Bartolata, the devastation triggered painful memories. She said this was the third time their home had flooded—after previous typhoons—but this one caught them off guard. “We are expecting that it’s coming from the roof… but this time it’s from underground, from the flood, from the Susupe Lake,” she said.
Fighting back tears, she described returning home after the storm. “When I saw our things… it’s up to my waist… I said to my husband… I need to get my personal belongings,” she said.
Many items, including a newly purchased washing machine, were beyond saving. “It’s useless.”
Her son Miguel evacuated with her, while another son, Arwen, was stranded in Japan and could only watch from afar. “Once they sent photos, I kind of got emotional… it broke my heart to see everyone’s house is flooded,” he said.
Just a few houses away, the Pascual family faced a similar ordeal, but with even deeper emotional scars.
“This is the worst for us,” said Mike Pascual, noting that while they had reinforced their home after previous storms, they did not anticipate flooding. “We didn’t expect the flood… three days of flood, and Susupe Lake overflows.”
He described how the water initially seemed manageable before rapidly rising. “I got panicked when the water is rising… I told them, grab whatever you can grab… and we will evacuate.”
The family sought shelter in hotels before finding temporary housing, but the damage back home was extensive. Rafael Pascual said the loss was not just material but deeply personal.
“All the stuff I lost… it’s very sad because that’s years of hard work, years of progress.” His sister Raven added, “It’s just really sad to see what this typhoon has done to our island and also to my home.” Doreen Pascual broke down as she recounted the night the floodwaters surged. “The water is up to my waistline… I cannot even think what to do. I’m just looking at the water going up. I cannot move. I cannot think,” she said. “We don’t even have our clothes… it all got wet.”
She described the experience as worse than past typhoons. “Yeah, worse than Soudelor and Yutu,” she said, expressing hope for federal assistance. “We’re hoping that FEMA can help us.”
The Resuello family, relatively new to Saipan, also saw nearly everything destroyed. “Most of our things, almost 90%… got soaked in the flood,” said Angel Resuello. Like others, they had expected to withstand strong winds due to their concrete home but not the rising waters. “What we didn’t expect is the flood… up to our waist.”
The family evacuated as conditions worsened, even as their vehicle sustained damage along the way.
For Jairus Resuello, the experience was overwhelming. “I’m really frustrated… everything is just gone, you know, the comfort,” he said. Returning home after the storm, he said, “I was down… I was thinking it would take a while for us to recover.”
His mother, Ruby, said the family—who moved to Saipan just over a year ago—now faces an uphill climb. “It’s a very difficult situation,” she said, appealing for assistance. “It’s really good if we can get some help… because we lost a lot.”
Across Jesus Street near Susupe Lake, dozens of families are now cleaning up and trying to salvage what little remains, many echoing the same plea for help—and the same resolve to move forward.
“Just think positive. We’ll get through this,” Jairus said.
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