Federated States of Micronesia CDEOC Situation Report No. 9 - Tropical Storm Sinlaku (Chuuk State - May 08, 2026)

Country: Micronesia (Federated States of) Source: Government of the Federated States of Micronesia Please refer to the attached file. This report is produced by the Chuuk Disaster and Emergency Operations Center (CDEOC) in collaboration with humanitarian partners and OCHA/UNDAC. It covers the period from 02 - 08 May 2026. Typhoon Sinlaku affected all municipalities in Chuuk State and 2 in Yap when it struck FSM and stalled north of state capital Weno between 9 and 12 April 2026. Destructive winds, heavy rainfall, storm surge, and saltwater intrusion damaged shelters, services, and livelihoods across the state. Meteorological threats continue as Tropical Storm Hagupit threatens Yap. Humanitarian needs remain acute. Access to safe water is critically compromised, food reserves are depleting rapidly, and the outer islands face growing isolation as maritime supply lines remain constrained. Typhoon Sinlaku — named for the Kosraean goddess of nature and breadfruit — formed in the western North Pacific on 9 April from a Madden-Julian Oscillation-driven cyclonic gyre and tracked slowly through the Chuuk area before undergoing rapid intensification to a Category 5-equivalent super typhoon (peak intensity: 295 km/h / 185 mph sustained winds, 890 hPa). The most consequential feature for Chuuk was the prolonged duration of exposure: the storm's centre stalled approximately 75 miles north-northwest of the Chuuk Lagoon Islands for nearly four days (9–12 April), subjecting communities to sustained destructive winds of up to 70 mph, estimated rainfall of 15–20 inches, storm surges, flooding and saltwater intrusion that overwhelmed local coping capacity. This is the deadliest tropical cyclone in Micronesia since Super Typhoon Chataan in 2002 (48 deaths) and Typhoon Pamela in 1976 (11 deaths). HIGHLIGH...

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