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HONOLULU (AP) — A typhoon with sustained winds around 100 mph and gusts up to 120 mph slammed into Saipan, Northern Mariana Islands, causing widespread damage.
NOAA's National Weather Service in Guam says the storm moved across Saipan Sunday into Monday and has since strengthened to a super typhoon with winds reaching 180 mph. The storm is headed toward northern Taiwan and could hit there sometime this weekend.
According to the National Weather Service, waves about 30 feet high hit the island as the storm approached. They say the storm struck at high tide, intensifying the potential for flooding.
The Pacific Daily News in Guam (http://bit.ly/1M1AMcV ) reports Saipan acting Gov. Ralph DLG Torres declared "a state of disaster and significant emergency."
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