Yap Officials Urge Water Conservation and Wildfire Prevention as El Niño Strengthens

Thursday, August 13, 2026/// DYCA PIO

Yap FM - Yap residents are being urged to conserve water and take precautions against wildfires as strengthening El Niño conditions are expected to bring increasingly dry conditions to the state beginning later this year.

The Yap State Disaster Coordination Office, Yap State Public Service Corporation, Yap Environmental Protection Agency, and the Maap, Southern Yap, and Gagil-Tomil Water Authorities issued a joint advisory encouraging residents, businesses, and communities to begin conserving water now.

According to weather information from the National Weather Service Guam and the Yap Weather Service Office, El Niño conditions are present and strengthening. The July 9, 2026 diagnostic discussion cited in the advisory gives a 97 percent chance that El Niño will continue through early spring 2027, along with an 81 percent chance of a very strong El Niño during November through January.

For Yap, the outlook calls for a shift toward drier conditions and a longer, increasingly dry season. Across the Federated States of Micronesia, rainfall is expected to be significantly below normal, with the largest rainfall deficits generally expected around February and March 2027.

The drought outlook extends from October 2026 through summer 2027, while rainfall from January through May 2027 is expected to be well below normal. Officials warn that prolonged dry conditions could reduce water supplies, affect agriculture and livestock, and increase the risk of wildfires.

Residents are encouraged to take simple steps to conserve water, including turning off faucets when water is not needed, repairing or reporting leaks, limiting vehicle washing and other nonessential water use, and reusing water when appropriate.

Officials also recommend that households store a reasonable amount of water for essential needs and encourage families, businesses, and communities to make water conservation a regular practice during the coming dry period.

At the same time, residents are being asked to exercise increased caution with outdoor fires.

As vegetation dries, fires can ignite more easily and spread more rapidly. Officials are urging residents to avoid unnecessary outdoor burning and not to burn trash or vegetation during dry or windy conditions.

Residents are also reminded never to leave an outdoor fire unattended and to ensure that all fires are completely extinguished before leaving the area. Flammable materials should be kept away from homes and other buildings, while cigarettes, matches, and other burning materials should never be discarded onto dry vegetation.

The advisory also calls on parents and caregivers to keep children away from outdoor fires and asks residents to report smoke or unattended fires to the appropriate authorities.

Officials emphasized that water conservation and wildfire prevention are shared responsibilities and that actions taken now can help protect Yap's water supplies, homes, communities, agriculture, and environment.

Additional information and updates are expected as weather and water conditions develop.

(For more information, please contact the Department of Youth and Civic Affairs at 350-DYCA/3922)