NMC Students and Employees:
As of 8:30 am, Thursday, Oct. 1, 2026, Governor David M. Apatang, in consultation with the CNMI Homeland Security and Emergency Management Office and National Weather Service – Guam, has declared Tropical Storm Condition II for Saipan and Tinian. See the attached press release from the CNMI Joint Information Center for more details.
In anticipation of the potential impact of Tropical Storm Choi-Wan and the anticipated hazardous weather conditions, Northern Marianas College (NMC) classes scheduled for Thursday Afternoon (beginning 12pm), October 1, 2026, and Friday, October 2, 2026 have been cancelled. A separate announcement will be made for classes scheduled for Saturday, Oct. 3, 2026.
College offices on Saipan and Tinian will also be closed Thursday afternoon and all day Friday. NMC’s Rota Campus will remain open.
NMC Employees
As Northern Marianas College continues to monitor Tropical Storm Choi-Wan, employees are asked to begin securing their offices and work areas as a precautionary measure.
Please complete the following before leaving campus today:
- Secure or bring indoors any loose outdoor items that may become airborne during strong winds.
- Unplug nonessential electronic equipment.
- Back up important files and ensure College-issued laptops and other portable equipment are stored in a safe, interior location.
- Move important documents, equipment, and supplies away from windows or other areas that may be vulnerable to water intrusion. Using plastic trash bags or other waterproof material, cover all electronics, including phones, monitors, and other materials. Since water intrusion and flooding are possible or likely, raise sensitive materials, equipment, or other items from the floor.
- Close and secure all windows and doors.
- Remove perishable food items and dispose of any trash.
- Before you leave work, take a picture of your work area / office so any storm damage can be properly documented.
- Be sure to share contact information for all your team members so that you can check in with each other during and after the storm.
- Set up your marianas.edu email vacation responder to inform your contacts that your responses may be delayed due to the anticipated weather conditions.
- Proactively inform your grant funders, subawardees, and other colleagues, particularly those who are based off-island, about the anticipated severe weather conditions and how it could impact communications.
The College will continue to monitor the storm and assess campus conditions after it has passed. Announcements regarding the resumption of classes and campus operations will be communicated through official NMC channels:
- NMC Employee and Student Email (marianas.edu/my.marianas.edu)
- NMC Portal+ (portal.marianas.edu)
- NMC Website (www.marianas.edu)
- NMC Social Media Pages (Facebook and Instagram: @nmc.proa)
- NMC WhatsApp Channel (whatsapp.marianas.edu)
- News outlets, including local radio stations
Students and employees should take all precautions necessary to prepare for heavy winds and rain, flooding, and other storm impacts.
It is also important to note that during emergency situations, there may be inaccurate information or disinformation shared with the community. To prevent misinformation from being distributed, be sure to access information only from official sources that include:
- CNMI EOC State Warning Point Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cnmieocswp/
- CNMI Joint Information Center WhatsApp Channel: tinyurl.com/CNMI-JIC
- CNMI Office of the Governor Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cnmigovernor
- NWS Website: https://www.weather.gov/gum/
- NWS Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NWSGuam/
- Joint Typhoon Warning Center Website: https://www.metoc.navy.mil/jtwc/jtwc.html