Sign up for our daily briefing

Make your busy days simpler with Axios AM/PM. Catch up on what's new and why it matters in just 5 minutes.

Please enter a valid email.

Please enter a valid email.

Subscription failed
Thank you for subscribing!

Stay on top of the latest market trends

Subscribe to Axios Markets for the latest market trends and economic insights. Sign up for free.

Please enter a valid email.

Please enter a valid email.

Subscription failed
Thank you for subscribing!

Sports news worthy of your time

Binge on the stats and stories that drive the sports world with Axios Sports. Sign up for free.

Please enter a valid email.

Please enter a valid email.

Subscription failed
Thank you for subscribing!

Tech news worthy of your time

Get our smart take on technology from the Valley and D.C. with Axios Login. Sign up for free.

Please enter a valid email.

Please enter a valid email.

Subscription failed
Thank you for subscribing!

Get the inside stories

Get an insider's guide to the new White House with Axios Sneak Peek. Sign up for free.

Please enter a valid email.

Please enter a valid email.

Subscription failed
Thank you for subscribing!

Catch up on coronavirus stories and special reports, curated by Mike Allen everyday

Catch up on coronavirus stories and special reports, curated by Mike Allen everyday

Please enter a valid email.

Please enter a valid email.

Subscription failed
Thank you for subscribing!

Want a daily digest of the top Denver news?

Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Denver

Please enter a valid email.

Please enter a valid email.

Subscription failed
Thank you for subscribing!

Want a daily digest of the top Des Moines news?

Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Des Moines

Please enter a valid email.

Please enter a valid email.

Subscription failed
Thank you for subscribing!

Want a daily digest of the top Twin Cities news?

Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Twin Cities

Please enter a valid email.

Please enter a valid email.

Subscription failed
Thank you for subscribing!

Want a daily digest of the top Tampa Bay news?

Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Tampa Bay

Please enter a valid email.

Please enter a valid email.

Subscription failed
Thank you for subscribing!

Want a daily digest of the top Charlotte news?

Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Charlotte

Please enter a valid email.

Please enter a valid email.

Subscription failed
Thank you for subscribing!

Please enter a valid email.

Please enter a valid email.

Subscription failed
Thank you for subscribing!

Satellite photos reveal the wrath of one of Earth's strongest storms

The eye of Super Typhoon Yutu swallowed the tiny island of Tinian on Oct. 24, 2018. Image: NOAA/CIMSS.

Super Typhoon Yutu struck the Northern Mariana Islands on October 24, packing maximum sustained winds of 180 miles per hour and gusts higher than 200 mph. This made it the most intense storm to strike U.S. soil since at least 1935, and one of the strongest storms ever measured on Earth.

The big picture: Before and after satellite photos taken by DigitalGlobe's WorldView-3 satellite provide a first look at the devastation the storm brought to the islands of Tinian and Saipan in particular.

At one point, the eye of Super Typhoon Yutu completely engulfed Tinian. Meteorologists are combing through the debris for clues as to how high the winds actually got, since no anemometer survived the onslaught to provide accurate readings.

Damage on Tinian from Super Typhoon Yutu. Satellite images ©2018 DigitalGlobe, a Maxar company.

The scale and severity of the damage appears similar to the damage caused by Category 4 Hurricane Michael in the Florida Panhandle, which struck earlier this month. Homes and infrastructure appear to be torn apart, some stripped down to their foundations.

Closeup of damage from Super Typhoon Yutu on the island of Tinian. Satellite images ©2018 DigitalGlobe, a Maxar company.

Home to about 50,000, the Northern Mariana Islands played a prominent role during World War II. For example, the U.S. B-29 bombing raids that dropped nuclear weapons on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan, took off from Tinian.

Damage to Saipan International Airport from Super Typhoon Yutu. Satellite images ©2018 DigitalGlobe, a Maxar company.
Closeup of damage to homes on Saipan from Super Typhoon Yutu. Satellite images ©2018 DigitalGlobe, a Maxar company.

President Trump signed a federal disaster declaration for the Northern Mariana Islands on Saturday, allowing for the speeding up of aid to the islands. Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar also designated a public health emergency for the islands, prompting more than two dozen medical workers to deploy to the region.

Damage to the southwestern side of Saipan from Super Typhoon Yutu. Satellite image ©2018 DigitalGlobe, a Maxar company.
Closeup of damage to buildings on the southwest side of Saipan in the Northern Mariana Islands. Satellite image ©2018 DigitalGlobe, a Maxar company.

The storm is not done causing damage yet. It's now expected to make a second landfall on the island of Luzon in the Philippines on October 31, followed by a possible strike on the Chinese mainland soon thereafter.

Go deeper:

Super Typhoon Yutu heads for second landfall in Philippines

One of the strongest-ever storms strikes the Northern Mariana Islands

Go deeper

Axios
Updated 50 mins ago - Politics & Policy

Coronavirus dashboard

Illustration: Brendan Lynch/Axios

  1. Vaccines: CDC says fully vaccinated people can gather inside without masks — The barriers to vaccine passports — U.S. ahead of pace on vaccines.
  2. Health: Mississippi Gov. defends lifting mask mandate — Cities' struggle to balance homelessness and public safety.
  3. Economy: U.S. economy added 379,000 jobs in February.
  4. Politics: Senate passes $1.9 trillion COVID relief package.
  5. Education: Senate COVID relief bill paves way for student debt forgiveness — New York City high schools to reopen on March 22.
  6. World: U.K. schools to reopen with mass testing.
Go deeper (1 min. read)Arrow
Kadia Goba
Updated 2 hours ago - Politics & Policy

Capitol review panel recommends more police, mobile fencing

Photo: Olivier Douliery/AFP via Getty Images

A panel appointed by Congress to review security measures at the Capitol is recommending several changes, including mobile fencing and a bigger Capitol police force, to safeguard the area after a riotous mob breached the building on Jan. 6.

Why it matters: Law enforcement officials have warned there could be new plots to attack the area and target lawmakers, including during a speech President Biden is expected to give to a joint session of Congress.

Go deeper (1 min. read)Arrow
Marisa Fernandez
3 hours ago - Health

CDC says fully vaccinated people can take fewer precautions

Photo: Filip Filipovic/Getty Images

People who have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19 can take fewer precautions in certain situations, including socializing indoors without masks when in the company of low-risk or other vaccinated individuals, according to guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released Monday.

Why it matters: Per the report, there's early evidence that suggests vaccinated people are less likely to have asymptomatic infection and are potentially less likely to transmit the virus to other people. At the time of its publication, the CDC said the guidance would apply to about 10% of Americans.

Go deeper (1 min. read)Arrow