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Recovery Update 3: Coast Guard crews make first port gains in CNMI, initial Rota and Tinian assessments complete

Courtesy Photo | U.S. Coast Guard facility inspectors from U.S. Coast Guard Forces Micronesia/Sector...... read more read more

SANTA RITA, GUAM

04.20.2026

Story by Chief Warrant Officer Sara Muir

U.S. Coast Guard Forces Micronesia / Sector Guam

SANTA RITA, Guam — The Coast Guard Captain of the Port for Guam and the Marianas set a modified Port Heavy Weather Condition Whiskey for the Port of Tinian on Monday, reopening the port to daytime-only cargo operations and commercial traffic.

U.S. Coast Guard crews completed the first port surveys of the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, finishing initial assessments at Rota on Sunday and Tinian on Monday.

The USCGC Oliver Henry (WPC 1140) crew led that push. The crew arrived at Rota midday Sunday, delivered supplies, and completed port surveys and aids to navigation inspections alongside U.S. Coast Guard facility inspectors from Guam and FEMA representatives. Oliver Henry then transited to Tinian, arriving around 7 p.m., and crews immediately began work. Remaining assessments continued at first light on Monday.

The initial Tinian assessment gave the first look at port conditions since the storm. Crews found no obstructions in the channel. An inspection of the shoreside fuel reception arrangement also passed. Several navigational buoys shifted or sustained damage — a normal result of a storm this powerful.

"Given the current conditions, getting ports open in CNMI is a top priority,” said Capt. Jessica Worst, commander of Coast Guard Forces Micronesia/Sector Guam and Captain of the Port for Guam and the Marianas. “We know getting supplies into the area by vessel is a critical lifeline, and are working urgently to find a safe path to get them there. Bringing a vessel into a port that has not been fully assessed is how one emergency becomes two. We are moving as fast as the conditions responsibly allow, and we will not stop until all our communities have restored maritime access."

A U.S. Coast Guard dive team in Guam is completing equipment preparations on Monday to begin underwater work on Tinian's navigational aids. Oliver Henry is returning to Guam, with a stop in Rota to confirm waterside assessments, and will then embark the team and bring them back to Tinian. Dive operations for ATON restoration in Tinian are expected to begin on Tuesday.

The seagoing buoy tender USCGC Hickory (WLB 212) crew made quick work of aids to navigation restoration in Guam on Monday, returning one key buoy to station within tolerance and verifying the position of others. Hickory then transited to Saipan, delivering personnel and equipment to support recovery operations there. That process is ongoing. The U.S. Navy Explosive Ordnance Disposal technicians aboard are conducting underwater surveys of Saipan’s waterways, which are essential before larger traffic comes into port, particularly with several known vessels missing and other debris potentially obstructing channels.

In Saipan, U.S. Coast Guard teams are continuing their assessment and developing plans to address vessels that were pushed ashore in Smiling Cove during the storm. They are also evaluating the condition of the Remote Fixed Facility tower, which support radio communications. Communications in Saipan remain degraded.

Ports in Saipan and Rota remain closed pending completion of surveys and Coast Guard authorization. Commercial mariners should not transit these ports without direct coordination with the U.S. Coast Guard and monitor all broadcast notices to mariners.

While there are no current weather advisories, the public should continue to use caution around the water, as debris may be on or below the surface, and responders are focused on recovery efforts. Weather advisories updates are available at weather.gov/gum.

Mariners with emergencies should contact the U.S. Coast Guard Joint Rescue Sub-Center Guam team on VHF-FM Channel 16 or at (671) 355-4824.

-USCG-

About U.S. Coast Guard Forces Micronesia/Sector Guam The U.S. Coast Guard Forces Micronesia/Sector Guam team focuses on maritime security, enabling the flow of commerce, and responding to crises in Oceania. With a primary presence in Guam and Saipan and over 350 members across Guam and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, the team maintains a strong U.S. presence in the Micronesia sub-region and adjacent areas, closely tied to local communities.