Seabees assigned to Naval Mobile Construction Battalion 1 deliver emergency drinking water to the Commonwealth of Northern Marianas Islands Fire Department in Saipan, April 23, 2026. (Kentavist Brackin/U.S. Air Force)
Nearly two weeks after a powerful typhoon plowed into the Northern Marianas, the U.S. military continues moving supplies, generators, fuel and water onto the islands, which are still in recovery mode.
On Guam, which missed the full brunt of Super Typhoon Sinlaku, civilian authorities on the U.S. territory are cleaning up leftover debris after restoring essential services like power and water.
Military engineers, aircrews and warships worked in conjunction with the Federal Emergency Management Agency and local authorities to bring full recovery to Saipan and Tinian, northeast of Guam, according to information from the Guam government and military commands over the weekend.
Guam was spared the worst of Sinlaku, a slow-moving storm that passed 100 miles northeast of the island on April 14 and brought flooding and winds of 84 mph. The typhoon made landfall over northern Tinian the following day, with maximum sustained winds of 145 mph, according to NASA.
More than 15,000 people on nearby Saipan were still without power and only 33% of the island’s water services were restored as of Sunday, according to an update that day from the islands’ Joint Information Center.
Coast Guardsmen assess damage, including beached sailboats, at Smiling Cove on Saipan, April 18, 2026. (Whip Blacklaw/U.S. Coast Guard)
Tinian’s water supply was operating at 98% capacity, but the island’s entire power supply was offline as of Sunday, leaving more than 1,000 people in the dark, the center said.
Guam had restored 99% of its critical infrastructure and debris cleanup and disposal were “well underway,” freeing up resources to assist elsewhere, the Office of the Governor of Guam said in a Saturday news release.
Military installations on Guam - Andersen Air Force Base, Marine Corps Base Camp Blaz and Naval Base Guam - are fully operational, said Joint Region Marianas spokeswoman Navy Lt. Cmdr. Kristina Wiedemann.
“Any localized issues have been addressed or are in the process of being restored, and there has been no impact to critical infrastructure affecting mission capability,” she said by email Monday.
Approximately 10,000 service members from every branch were working to expedite recovery, according to Joint Task Force-Micronesia spokeswoman Capt. Christy Hanson.
A power planning and response team from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ Honolulu District, including 12 soldiers from the 249th Engineer Battalion, were pre-positioned on Guam ahead of Sinlaku’s arrival.
Since then, the soldiers have installed emergency generators and continue daily power assessments on Saipan and Tinian via a staging area at Saipan’s port, according to a Friday news release.
Members of the 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit and Boxer Amphibious Ready Group clear trees felled by Super Typhoon Sinlaku in Ypao Beach, Guam, April 21, 2026. (Oliver Nisbet/U.S. Marine Corps clear trees felled by a storm.)
The Navy’s amphibious transport dock USS Portland is on the scene supporting supply transport and recovery operations, according to images posted on the military’s Defense Visual Information Distribution Service.
Seabees from Navy Expeditionary Forces Pacific began building FEMA-approved tents Sunday for Saipan residents whose homes were damaged or destroyed by Sinlaku, Hanson said by phone Monday.
“People submit applications if their homes were damaged, and FEMA chooses the ones that are the highest priorities,” she said.
The 374th Airlift Wing out of Yokota Air Base in western Tokyo provided support via two C-130J Super Hercules aircraft, a quick-reaction logistics force and other aircrews, personnel and equipment, wing spokeswoman Capt. Emma Quirk said by email Friday.
With ports reopened, the U.S. Coast Guard is focusing on environmental recovery and maritime safety, Coast Guard Forces Micronesia/Sector Guam spokeswoman Chief Warrant Officer 2 Sara Muir said by email Monday.
An air-cushioned landing craft from the amphibious transport dock ship USS Portland arrives at Naval Base Guam, April 24, 2026, to support Super Typhoon Sinlaku relief efforts. (Janae McCoy/U.S. Navy)
