Typhoon Sinlaku - Apr 2026

A new tropical cyclone named Sinlaku formed over the western North Pacific Ocean on 9 April and started moving north-west toward Guam and the far southern Northern Mariana Islands as a tropical storm. On 10 April at 0.00 UTC its centre was located over the ocean approximately 885 km south-east of Guam, with maximum sustained winds of 74 km/h. (ECHO, 10 Apr 2026)

Over 11-12 April, Tropical Cyclone Sinlaku continued moving north-west over the western North Pacific Ocean toward the Northern Mariana Islands and Guam, further strengthening. On 13 April at 00:00 UTC, its centre was located over the ocean approximately 455 km south-east of Guam, with maximum sustained winds of 287 km/h (Cat. 5 hurricane). [...] According to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), as of 13 April, seven shelters are in force as preventive measures across the Northern Mariana Islands. (ECHO, 13 Apr 2026)

According to FEMA, six shelters hosting 782 people are active in the Northern Mariana Islands, while seven shelters hosting 782 people are open in Guam. In addition, its passage through Micronesia (particularly Chuuk State) on 10–11 April caused the displacement of 100 people and resulted in widespread, serious damage on the islands of Weno, Tamatam, Piherarh, Onoun, Uman, Parem and Fanapanges. (ECHO, 14 Apr 2026)

Tropical cyclone SINLAKU made landfall over the central Tinian islands (north-central Northern Mariana Islands) on 14 April after 12 UTC, with maximum sustained winds of 231 km/h (Cat. 4 hurricane), and after that it continued moving north-west over the western North Pacific Ocean. On 15 April at 3.00 UTC, its centre was located over the ocean approximately 100 km north-west of the Tinian and Saipan islands, with maximum sustained winds of 204 km/h (Cat. 3 hurricane). The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) reports, as of 15 April, 306 currently evacuated people in eight shelters across the Northern Mariana Islands and 858 evacuated people in seven shelters across Guam. The governor of Guam declared a state of emergency. (ECHO, 15 Apr 2026)

According to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), a total of 1 080 people remain still evacuated in 16 evacuation centres, 320 in the Northern Mariana Islands and 760 in Guam. Additionally, FEMA and media report power and water outages, particularly on Guam, Saipan, Rota and Tinian. (ECHO, 16 Apr 2026)

Federated States of Micronesia: Chuuk State experienced severe and widespread humanitarian impacts after the passage and stalling of Tropical Storm (Typhoon) Sinlaku, which remained near-stationary just offshore and subjected the islands to prolonged exposure to extreme winds, storm surge, and heavy rainfall. An estimated 34,000 people had been affected across the state, with displacement reported and at least 100 individuals who remained in evacuation centres as of 19 April. The full scale of impact was unclear due to communication blackouts, particularly in remote outer islands. Initial reports confirmed at least four fatalities. (IFRC, 19 Apr 2026)

Federated States of Micronesia: The preliminary reporting indicates widespread housing loss across multiple municipalities, including severe impacts in Udot and high rates of major damages in several lagoon and outer-island communities. In addition, nearly 100 are living in 3 shelters in Weno since the early days of the Typhoon. Based on the initial reports of the ongoing IDA, more than 4,200 people have been displaced across 29 assessed municipalities. The most temporarily displaced are in Uman (~1,779), Fefen (580), Romanum (290), Udot (277), including other municipalities such as Makur, Piherech, Piss-Penau and Unanun. (Govt. Micronesia, 25 Apr 2026)

Federated States of Micronesia: Preliminary findings from the Government-led Initial Damage Assessment (IDA) indicate that over 34,000 people across 29 municipalities have been affected, with 7 reported fatalities and 5 injuries. Approximately 4,200 people are temporarily displaced, many sheltering in schools, delaying the resumption of education. (Pacific Humanitarian Team, 28 Apr 2026)