From Susupe Lake to Ironwood, Saipan families brace for another super typhoon

As another super typhoon bears down on the Marianas less than three months after Super Typhoon Sinlaku, families across Saipan spent Liberation Day and the 4th of July—a supposed holiday—securing their homes, many still haunted by the destruction and flooding they experienced earlier this year.

At Susupe Lake, an ancestral family home that has weathered decades of storms was once again the focus of preparations, while residents in Koblerville and Ironwood Saipan also raced to protect their properties and prepare for possible flooding.

Siblings Ramona Acejo, 69, and Jesse Deleon Guerrero, 63, spent the day trying to secure their family's ancestral home along Susupe Lake, where floodwaters during Super Typhoon Sinlaku reached unprecedented levels.

Acejo, who now lives elsewhere, said she returned to help her younger sister protect the property where they both grew up.

"We love this place. I grew up here a long time. I was born here," Acejo said. "No matter what, we still can go on there, survive and build up again."

She said Sinlaku produced the worst flooding she has ever witnessed in the area, which shore now is marked by a tattered U.S. flag—symbolic of what the Marianas is going through with its fourth super typhoon in 11 years.

"Sinlaku was the worst," she said, recalling that floodwaters reached the nearby roadway and residents had to use boats to move through the neighborhood. Family members still living there plan to evacuate before Super Typhoon Bavi arrives.

Nearby, Ruby Resuello, 46, said her family decided to remain in an apartment complex near Susupe Lake and the CK Cemetery despite enduring severe flooding during Sinlaku. Although they considered relocating after the storm, the lower rent convinced them to stay.

"We're actually planning to... evacuate before the typhoon comes," Roswellio said. "We're trying to secure our items here... and then we will go somewhere. We will go to our relatives."

She said the family is moving valuables to higher places before leaving and hopes to avoid another flood like the one that struck just weeks ago.

In Koblerville, 81-year-old retiree Jack Muña said lessons learned from Typhoon Soudelor in 2015 and Super Typhoon Yutu in 2018 prompted him to strengthen his home, although doing so required taking out substantial loans.

Muña said he borrowed about $50,000 after Soudelor to repair damage, then took another loan of more than $100,000 following Yutu to rebuild and reinforce his house.

"After Typhoon Yutu, I decided to use that money... to fix up everything here so I can have a typhoon-proof prevention," he said. "I practically constructed the backside and make it concrete all the way. So I'm not worried too much about shelter now."

Although Sinlaku caused only minor structural damage and some flooding inside his home, Muña said he has once again stocked water, canned goods and fuel while securing vulnerable areas with plywood. He urged residents not to underestimate the approaching storm.

"It's a super typhoon. Let's not take it so lightly," he said. "Everybody has to be prepared."

Meanwhile, Elmer Esdrelon, 50, and his 16-year-old son Lucas said they remain concerned that floodwaters could once again inundate Ironwood Saipan, where dozens of vehicles were seen floating during Sinlaku in a video that later went viral.

"Yeah, maybe. We don't know yet how strong is the rain and the wind," Elmer Esdrelon said. "So we just prepared, we secured our things, our car. Maybe we move to a better parking, a higher ground."

Lucas said the community has barely had time to recover from the previous disaster.

"With this typhoon coming, it doesn't give us enough time to recover from Sinlaku," he said.

The father and son said they have filled both family vehicles with fuel, purchased non-perishable food, and are waiting for a water delivery while preparing important documents and other essentials in case evacuation becomes necessary.