The Latest: Typhoon destroys homes in Northern Marianas

The Latest on the aftermath of Super Typhoon Yutu in the Northern Mariana Islands (all times local):

12:10 p.m.

An elected official in the Northern Mariana Islands says he’s seeing people who lost everything but are thankful to be alive after a super typhoon his the U.S. territory.

Edwin Propst, a member of the territory’s House of Representatives, says many people lost the roofs of their houses and some had brand-new cars smashed by a collapsed garage.

Super Typhoon Yutu ripped storm shutters off his concrete home on the island of Saipan, shattered a glass sliding door and flooded his floors.

On the smaller island of Tinian, which took a direct hit, resident Juanita Mendiola says most of the homes have been destroyed. She rode out the storm in her bathroom and could feel her concrete home shaking.

The governor’s office says a 44-year-old woman died while taking shelter in a building that collapsed.

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9:55 a.m.

The governor’s office says a super typhoon has killed one person when it slammed into the U.S. Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands.

A post on the office’s Facebook page says a 44-year-old woman died while taking shelter in an abandoned building that collapsed during the strongest storm to hit any part of the U.S. this year.

Super Typhoon Yutu left devastation when it passed over the Pacific U.S. territory early Thursday local time. Government officials couldn’t immediately be reached for additional details early Friday.

The territory’s delegate to Congress said Thursday that the islands will need significant help to recover.

Gregorio Kilili Camacho Sablan says several people were injured and there were reports of people waiting at a hospital to be treated.

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12 a.m.

It could be months before electricity is restored in the aftermath of Super Typhoon Yutu, which crossed the Northern Mariana Islands as the strongest storm to hit any part of the U.S.

The Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands is a U.S. territory that’s accustomed to strong storms. The National Weather Service says the Category 5 storm is among the strongest to hit one of the Mariana Islands in decades.

The island of Tinian took a direct hit, and catastrophic winds ravaged much of Saipan.

Saipan resident Glen Hunter says electricity went out hours before the storm crossed over early Thursday. He expects it will take months for power to be restored because it took four months after Typhoon Soudelor in 2015.