Navy-Marine Corps Relief Society Provides Immediate Financial Assistance to Service Members and Families Affected by the Storm
Nonprofit delivering emergency grants and on-site support to help Sailors, Marines and their families recover from widespread outages and storm-related losses.
GUAM (April 21, 2026) —Typhoon Sinlaku struck Guam with greater intensity than forecast, causing widespread and prolonged power and water outages across the island. Many active duty and retired Navy and Marine Corps families experienced significant disruption, including the loss of food and other essential needs.
In response, Navy-Marine Corps Relief Society (NMCRS) quickly mobilized to provide direct financial assistance and in-person support to those affected. From April 17 to 19, NMCRS Guam staff operated on site at the Naval Base Guam Emergency Family Assistance Center, ensuring service members and their families had immediate access to critical resources.
During this period, NMCRS provided $400 emergency grants to eligible active duty and retired Sailors, Marines and their families to address urgent, storm-related needs. Assistance focused on food loss due to extended power outages and other essential expenses as a result of the storm’s impact. Since the storm, NMCRS has provided $640,000 in support to over 1,600 Sailors, Marines and their families.
“Through our coordinated response, NMCRS was able to provide immediate, on-the-ground financial assistance to Sailors, Marines and their families impacted by Typhoon Sinlaku,” said retired Navy Rear Adm. Dawn Cutler, chief operating officer of NMCRS. “Our priority is to deliver timely, meaningful relief and support that helps families stabilize and begin recovering as quickly as possible.”
In addition to immediate grants, NMCRS continues to offer casework support and financial guidance to help families navigate ongoing challenges as recovery efforts continue. As Guam recovers from the storm, NMCRS remains committed to supporting service members and their families with both immediate relief and longer-term assistance as needed.
In keeping with its mission, NMCRS stands ready to respond when disaster strikes, providing compassionate, responsive support to those who serve our country.
NMCRS provides a wide range of services and programs, including financial assistance, education assistance and more through its global network of offices serving active duty and retired Sailors, Marines and their families. The relief and support NMCRS provides is made possible through the generous donations of supporters committed to strengthening military families. To learn more about the ways NMCRS supports active-duty and retired Sailors, Marines, and their families, visit nmcrs.org.