, April 30 -- Super Typhoon Sinlaku claimed 12 lives between Guam, Chuuk, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, making it one of the deadliest for Micronesia in decades, based on post-storm reports.

Looking forward, forecasters will have a better idea by early next week of whether tropical disturbance Invest 91W will turn into another problem for the Marianas or fizzle out.

This, as a developing El Niño weather pattern could raise the chances for more storms through 2026.

A National Weather Service post-storm report lists 12 fatalities from Sinlaku, 10 of which are considered "direct" and two of which are "indirect."

One has to go back to Super Typhoon Chataan in 2002, which killed 48, to see a higher death toll i...