HAGATNA, Guam – President Donald Trump declared a major disaster in the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands from Super Typhoon Yutu, opening the door to a range of federal assistance for recovery, but thousands of Saipan and Tinian residents are still without access to drinking and tap water as of Saturday.

Hundreds of military and other federal agency personnel led by the Federal Emergency Management Agency are now on Saipan and Tinian for assessment, response and recovery efforts.

Relief supplies such as drinking water and food continued to arrive Saturday.

CNMI Gov. Ralph Torres announced in a press conference that federal partners FEMA and the Department of Defense, along with local agencies, will prioritize access to water, food and medical care.

Military transport

South Korea, meanwhile, sent a military transport plane to Saipan to bring home more than 1,000 stranded Korean tourists because of Yutu, state-run Yonhap News Agency said.

Edward B. Mendiola, deputy director of the Commonwealth Ports Authority, and Del. Gregorio Kilili Sablan, confirmed the South Korean government's transport of its own citizens out of Saipan on Saturday.

Saipan International Airport remains closed to commercial airlines because of damages, but military and other aircraft for humanitarian reasons started using the airport since Friday.

'Soudelor all over again'

Thousands still do not have access to drinking and tap water as of Saturday, raising concerns about health and sanitation.

"It's Soudelor all over again," according to Rep. Ed Propst, a member of the CNMI House of Representatives.

Oct. 25:Super Typhoon Yutu devastates Northern Marianas Islands

Oct. 24:Deadly Super Typhoon Yutu strongest storm to ever hit US territory, second strongest to hit US overall

The lawmaker is referring to Typhoon Soudelor that hit Saipan in 2015 and left the island without water and power for up to four months.

Besides the shutdown of water supply, there's also massive power outage on Saipan, Tinian and Rota as Yutu knocked down hundreds of power poles and related infrastructure.

Saipan laundromats and stores began to reopen, and the line at Saipan Ice and Star Water is "ridiculously long," Propst said.

Saipan residents said they waited up to three hours on the road early Saturday morning for their turn to fill up their vehicle tank in available gas stations.

Yutu nearly destroyed neighborhoods, damaged vehicles, schools, hotels, businesses and airports. It resulted in one death and multiple injuries.

Yutu's sustained winds of 178 mph passed directly over Tinian. It is the strongest storm on record to ever hit U.S. soil and tied for the most powerful storm on Earth in 2018, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

Trump's Oct. 26 major disaster declaration, which was announced Saturday morning on Saipan, triggers the release of federal funds to help people and communities recover from Yutu that hit the CNMI's Tinian and Saipan.

This comes a day after U.S. Health Secretary Alex Azar declared a public health emergency for the CNMI, which involves sending more than 50 medical and public health personnel, along with medical supplies and equipment, to the islands.

Under a major disaster declaration, the CNMI is poised to receive both individual assistance to help residents fix their homes and public assistance to help the CNMI government cover costs like power system repairs.

'Our islands are resilient'

The CNMI governor's office said it will continue to prioritize every person and family impacted by the storm through the coordination of distribution of relief goods, temporary shelter resources, and through partnership with federal and private sector partners.

"I want to thank our president, the White House, FEMA, our federal partners, the Red Cross, the Legislature, and everyone in our community from the first responders who helped get this done expeditiously. Our islands are resilient. We will not stop until every person affected is taken care of,” the CNMI governor said.

Samson Tan, an executive chef at Grandvrios Resort Saipan, said he and other hotel employees worked through the typhoon and the hotel also sustained damages such as broken glass windows, some damaged roofs and major flooding in the lobby and parking.

“It was a horrifying experience of my life. The wind was so strong,” he said.

When he finally got to his own place, he almost didn’t recognize his house because it was severely damaged and everything was soaked.

Tan said hopefully this time he would be able to receive federal assistance for what he lost. He said in previous disasters, he was put off by disaster assistance forms that ask whether he or his children are U.S. citizens. Tan, from the Philippines, is among thousands of long-term legal foreign workers on Saipan.

Ports reopened, more supplies on the way

The U.S. Coast Guard reopened the Ports of Saipan, Tinian and Rota at 1 p.m. Saturday.

U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Sequoia, homeported on Guam, is en route to Saipan with 20 pallets of relief supplies, two salvage operators, three explosive ordnance disposal side-scan sonar operators and a Navy chaplain, the agency said.

Another vessel also homeported on Guam, U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Kiska, is en route to Tinian with relief supplies.

Matson Navigation Co. on Saturday announced pledging $125,000 in in-kind and cash support to help with Yutu emergency relief efforts on Saipan and Tinian.

Oct. 26:Widespread typhoon damage in US Pacific territory

Its vessel Mana departed Guam on Friday and arrived on Saipan on Saturday, with scheduled cargo and a container filled with bottled water and ice donated by Matson and equipment from the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

The company said it has sent an additional two containers of bottled water and ice from Hawaii, which will arrive on Guam on Tuesday, for transport to Saipan on Thursday.

'One village at a time'

In the face of the disaster, community members are taking on the challenge of rebuilding. Saipan resident Nola Hix and other members of the Marianas Young Professionals are organizing an island-wide disaster cleanup which begins on Sunday.

The team will provide trash bags, gloves, rakes and other miscellaneous items to help clean neighborhoods.

What this would do is empower interested village volunteers by giving them the tools they need to help themselves and their neighbors in cleaning their homes and yards affected by Yutu, Hix said.

"Let us build each other up by doing what we can," Hix said. "Help us restore CNMI, one village at a time."

Hix's family is among thousands reeling from the devastation caused by Yutu. Her mother and brother lost their homes to the typhoon, which ripped the roofs and walls and soaked everything the family owns.

"My sister was asleep when the roof of my mom's house gave up. She jumped out of bed and ran to the restroom where she hid in a closet. My cousin hid behind a refrigerator while they both thought to wait it (out)," Hix said.

Despite the loss to property, Hix and many others are thankful that they are still with their family members.

"Tomorrow will be another beautiful day in paradise and because I’m more than capable, I’ll be out and about to help those in need," Hix said.

Follow Haidee Eugenio on Twitter: @haidee_eugenio