The local government in Yap State in the Federated States of Micronesia says this morning a rapid response team is being dispatched to get a fuller picture of damage caused by Typhoon Maysak.

The Lieutenant Governor of Yap, James Yangetmai, says local islands which took the full brunt of Maysak appear to have been the small atolls of Fais and Ulithi as expected.

“We are going to send out a plane to two of our neighbouring islands, the ones that got the brunt of the super-typhoon, the islands of Fais and Ulithi.

We’re sending our rapid response team out there to see what assessment they come up with."

Mr Yangetmai indicated that from the initial reports, damage to crops and structures is serious and that the state is likely to need outside help to recover.

Meanwhile, the FSM government is in the process of assessing damage in affected areas across the country.

Earlier in the week, Maysak caused serious damage in Chuuk state, where five people are believed to have died and significant damage sustained to homes and crops.