Tinian Municipality, Northern Mariana Islands

Municipality storm and disaster record · FIPS 69120 · population 2,029

NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 33 records for Tinian Municipality, Northern Mariana Islands from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 31 days; the most frequent are hurricane and tropical storm records (30 records). All of them are forecast-zone records: they describe weather over a zone that covers Tinian Municipality, not events filed for it alone. The deadliest single record is the October 24, 2018 hurricane, filed for the forecast zone Northern Marianas, which covers the county: 1 death, 121 injuries and $589 million in damage in 2025 dollars. FEMA has issued 23 declarations naming the county since 1987, 21 of them for natural hazards; the latest for a natural hazard was “Super Typhoon Bavi” on August 3, 2026.

The record, 1950 to 2026

Storm records filed for the county each year (2026 to June 30, 2026). Before 1996 NOAA recorded only tornadoes (from 1950), thunderstorm wind and hail (from 1955).

  • recorded, no damage figure
  • under $100,000
  • $100,000 or more
  • $1 million or more
  • $10 million or more, or a death
  • $100 million or more, or 10 deaths
  • a year's colour: its recorded damage or deaths
  • a year with a death
  • 1955: wind and hail recorded from 1955
  • 1996: all 48 event types from 1996
Storm records
33on 31 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
Deaths recorded
2136 injuries
Damage, 2025 dollars
$644Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
FEMA declarations
23latest 2026

Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records through June 30, 2026 (file revision 20260918); damage converted to 2025 dollars with the BLS CPI-U. Search the record at NCEI. BLS consumer price index.

What hazards hit Tinian Municipality most?

The most frequent records are hurricane and tropical storm records: 30 since 1997. 47% of its hurricane and tropical storm records since 1997 fell in August and September. Census land area gives no figure for Tinian Municipality under this code, so it carries no per-area rank.

Tinian Municipality: records by hazard, 1950 to June 30, 2026
HazardRecordsDaysFirst, lastKilledInjuredDamageRank in state
Hurricanes and tropical storms 30 28 1997-2025 1 135 $644M –
Rip currents and high surf 2 2 2003-2014 1 1 – –
Fog, smoke and funnel clouds 1 1 2005-2005 0 0 – –

Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database (county and forecast-zone records attributed to the county; a zone record shows its own totals on each county it covers). Days: dates with at least one record of the hazard in the county. Ranks: days with a record per 1,000 square miles of land (Census Bureau 2024 Gazetteer), since 1950 for tornadoes, 1955 for hail and thunderstorm wind, 1996 for the rest.

When was the last damaging storm in Tinian Municipality?

The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the October 24, 2018 hurricane (1 death, 121 injuries and $589 million in damage in 2025 dollars).

A tropical disturbance was noted just northwest of Kosrae on the morning of October 21 near 8N160E. By the morning of October 22 the system had become Tropical depression 31W and was 130 miles north-northwest of Pohnpei. 31W continued to intensify through the day and by the afternoon of the 22nd became Tropical Storm Yutu. Yutu continued to strengthen and became a typhoon on the afternoon of October 23rd. Yutu continued to intensify and on the afternoon of the 24th it became a Super Typhoon. A Super Typhoon is a Joint Typhoon Warning Center's designation placed on a system if wind speeds in the typhoon equal or exceed 150 mph. At that time Yutu was less than 200 miles to the east of the Marianas. The 20 mile wide eye of Super Typhoon Yutu crossed over Tinian between midnight and 0400 ChST on October 25th. …
National Weather Service event narrative, NOAA Storm Events Database (search the full record, event 830028)
The 12 most recent records kept for Tinian Municipality
DateRecordCharacterKilledInjuredDamage
2025-08-07 Tropical DepressionNorthern Islands Municipality and 3 more · forecast zone Northern Marianas 0 0 –
2025-07-26 Tropical StormNorthern Islands Municipality and 3 more · forecast zone Northern Marianas 0 0 –
2018-10-24 Hurricane (Typhoon)Northern Islands Municipality and 3 more · forecast zone Northern Marianas 1 121 $589M
2018-10-24 Hurricane (Typhoon)Northern Islands Municipality and 3 more · forecast zone Northern Marianas 0 0 $589M
2018-10-24 Hurricane (Typhoon)Northern Islands Municipality and 3 more · forecast zone Northern Marianas 0 0 $589M
2014-09-26 Rip CurrentNorthern Islands Municipality and 3 more · forecast zone Northern Marianas 1 0 –
2009-09-15 Hurricane (Typhoon)Northern Islands Municipality and 3 more · forecast zone Northern Marianas 0 1 $41K
2005-08-31 Hurricane (Typhoon)Northern Islands Municipality and 3 more · forecast zone Northern Marianas 0 0 $3.8M
2004-09-01 Hurricane (Typhoon)Northern Islands Municipality and 3 more · forecast zone Northern Marianas 0 0 $781K
2004-08-22 Hurricane (Typhoon)Northern Islands Municipality and 3 more · forecast zone Northern Marianas 0 13 $28M
2004-06-27 Hurricane (Typhoon)Northern Islands Municipality and 3 more · forecast zone Northern Marianas 0 0 $8.1M
2003-07-21 Rip CurrentTinian, Northern Islands Municipality and 3 more 0 1 –

Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database; every record of 2025-2026 is listed, earlier ones when they caused deaths, injuries or $250,000 of damage (2025 dollars), and every tornado.

The deadliest and costliest records

Records with deaths or injuries in Tinian Municipality, most deaths first
DateRecordCharacterKilledInjuredDamage
2018-10-24 Hurricane (Typhoon)Northern Islands Municipality and 3 more · forecast zone Northern Marianas A tropical disturbance was noted just northwest of Kosrae on the morning of October 21 near 8N160E. By the morning of October 22 the system had become Tropical depression 31W and was 130 miles north-northwest of Pohnpei. 31W continued to intensify through the day and by the afternoon of the 22nd became Tropical Storm ... 1 121 $589M
2014-09-26 Rip CurrentNorthern Islands Municipality and 3 more · forecast zone Northern Marianas A 26 year old Marine from the Marine Wing Communication Squadron 18 based in Okinawa, Japan, was taking part in Exercise Valiant Shield and Forager Fury on Tinian. He went into the ocean on the northwest side of Tinian to cool off. It was reported that he was swept over the reef. He may have been caught in a rip ... 1 0 –
2004-08-22 Hurricane (Typhoon)Northern Islands Municipality and 3 more · forecast zone Northern Marianas TYPHOON CHABATropical Depression 19W began about 35 miles northeast of Enewetak early on the morning of August 19th, and became Tropical Storm Chaba that evening 110 miles northwest of Enewetak. Chaba moved west-northwest, then west over the next two days, and was upgraded to a typhoon late on the 21st, about 350 ... 0 13 $28M
2009-09-15 Hurricane (Typhoon)Northern Islands Municipality and 3 more · forecast zone Northern Marianas Tropical Depression 15W developed from a disturbance about 700 miles east of Guam on the 12th of September, and quickly intensified into Typhoon Choi-wan on the 13th. Moving steadily west-northwest toward the far northern Marianas, Choi-wan became a super typhoon just before passing directly over Alamagan Island at ... 0 1 $41K
2003-07-21 Rip CurrentTinian, Northern Islands Municipality and 3 more Scott Norman, 50 years old, went to the cliffline at Taga Beach in Tinian and jumped in the water. A few minutes later Norman tried to swim ashore, but strong waves and currents pulled him away from the shore. He then yelled for help. James Manuel, who was sitting under a pine tree at the time, heard Norman's cries ... 0 1 –
The costliest records in Tinian Municipality since 1993, damage in 2025 dollars
DateRecordCharacterKilledInjuredDamage
2018-10-24 Hurricane (Typhoon)Northern Islands Municipality and 3 more · forecast zone Northern Marianas 0 0 $589M
2004-08-22 Hurricane (Typhoon)Northern Islands Municipality and 3 more · forecast zone Northern Marianas 0 13 $28M
1997-11-02 Hurricane (Typhoon)Northern Islands Municipality and 3 more · forecast zone Northern Marianas 0 0 $13M
2004-06-27 Hurricane (Typhoon)Northern Islands Municipality and 3 more · forecast zone Northern Marianas 0 0 $8.1M
2005-08-31 Hurricane (Typhoon)Northern Islands Municipality and 3 more · forecast zone Northern Marianas 0 0 $3.8M
2004-09-01 Hurricane (Typhoon)Northern Islands Municipality and 3 more · forecast zone Northern Marianas 0 0 $781K
1997-10-18 Hurricane (Typhoon)Anatahan, Northern Islands Municipality and 3 more 0 0 $368K
2009-09-15 Hurricane (Typhoon)Northern Islands Municipality and 3 more · forecast zone Northern Marianas 0 1 $41K

Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database: deaths and injuries direct and indirect; damage is property plus crops as estimated by the National Weather Service, converted to 2025 dollars.

Is it getting more frequent?

Records per decade for Tinian Municipality's most frequent hazards. Counts rose everywhere after 1996, when NOAA began recording every event type, so compare decades within a hazard's complete period only (the shaded cells come before it).

Tinian Municipality: records per decade (the 2020s to June 30, 2026)
Hazard1950s1960s1970s1980s1990s2000s2010s2020-26
Hurricanes and tropical storms––––61563

Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records per calendar decade; zone records from the CZ_TYPE field (Z).

What time of year?

47% of its hurricane and tropical storm records since 1997 fell in August and September. The two busiest months are in violet.

The values, month by month

Jan 0 · Feb 0 · Mar 0 · Apr 2 · May 1 · Jun 2 · Jul 2 · Aug 7 · Sep 8 · Oct 7 · Nov 1 · Dec 3 (records).

Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.

Federal disaster declarations for Tinian Municipality

FEMA's register lists 23 declarations that include Tinian Municipality: 14 major disasters, 9 emergencies and 0 fire management assistance declarations. Most were for typhoon (15) and tropical storm (5).

Declarations including Tinian Municipality, newest first
DeclaredNumberTypeTitle
2026-08-03DR-4931TyphoonSuper Typhoon Bavi
2026-07-03EM-3647Tropical StormTyphoon Bavi
2026-04-23DR-4910HurricaneSuper Typhoon Sinlaku
2026-04-11EM-3645Tropical StormTyphoon Sinlaku
2023-10-08EM-3602Tropical StormTropical Storm Bolaven
2023-06-02DR-4716Tropical StormTyphoon Mawar
2023-05-22EM-3593Tropical StormTyphoon Mawar
2020-04-01DR-4511BiologicalCovid-19 Pandemic
2020-03-13EM-3463BiologicalCovid-19
2019-10-20EM-3425TyphoonTyphoon Bualoi
2019-10-07EM-3424TyphoonTyphoon Hagibis
2018-10-26DR-4404TyphoonSuper Typhoon Yutu
2018-10-23EM-3408TyphoonTyphoon Yutu
2018-09-29DR-4396TyphoonTyphoon Mangkhut
2018-09-10EM-3402TyphoonTyphoon Mangkhut
2015-08-05DR-4235TyphoonTyphoon Soudelor
2005-11-08DR-1611TyphoonTyphoon Nabi
2004-08-26DR-1541TyphoonFlooding, High Surf, Storm Surge, and High Winds As A Result of Super Typhoon Ch
2004-07-29DR-1532TyphoonFlooding, High Surf, High Winds, and Wind-Driven Rain Associated W Typh Tingting
2002-12-11DR-1447TyphoonSuper Typhoon Pongsona
1997-12-08DR-1192TyphoonSuper Typhoon Keith
1990-02-05DR-854TyphoonTyphoon Koryn
1987-11-03DR-800TyphoonTyphoon Lynn

Source: FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries (v2), declarations through October 2, 2026; one declaration is counted once however many areas it names. OpenFEMA dataset page.

Counties that share a border with Tinian Municipality

  1. Saipan Municipality 104
  2. Tinian Municipality 33

Source: U.S. Census Bureau county adjacency file; NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records since 1950. The Census Bureau's adjacency file.

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