Typhoon Mawar, a powerful Category 4 storm, was poised to make a direct impact on Guam on Wednesday, prompting weather officials to issue warnings and advise residents to take necessary precautions.
Authorities urged residents to seek higher ground and find shelter in emergency facilities if they had concerns about the stability of their homes. Guam’s governor, Lou Leon Guerrero, ordered the evacuation of flood-prone areas along the coast on Tuesday night.
“Current forecasts indicate that our island is in a precarious position,” she stated in a speech on Tuesday night. “We are directly in the path of Typhoon Mawar.”
By Wednesday afternoon, Typhoon Mawar had reached maximum sustained wind speeds of 140 mph and was expected to maintain that intensity throughout the night as it approached the island, according to the National Weather Service. This typhoon is anticipated to be the most severe storm to hit Guam in the past two decades, and officials warned that power and water services could be disrupted in certain areas for several days or even weeks.
“If you have any doubts about your safety, please seek shelter immediately,” stated the agency early Wednesday, cautioning that Guam would experience a significant impact from fierce winds and storm surges. “Conditions will rapidly deteriorate.”
President Joe Biden approved an emergency declaration to mobilize resources for the island. Governor Leon Guerrero wrote to the White House as Typhoon Mawar approached, emphasizing the need for assistance in mitigating the effects of “this imminent catastrophe,” especially considering Guam’s distance from the continental U.S., as reported by The Associated Press.
With a population of approximately 170,000 and hosting three U.S. military bases and about 6,400 troops, Guam took necessary precautions, moving all ships out to sea and ensuring personnel on the island were sheltering in place, according to the Navy.
According to The New York Times, Guam has recently implemented stronger building codes and warning systems to minimize injuries and damages.
Typhoons and hurricanes are essentially the same types of storms, with the term “typhoon” used for storms that affect Asia over the northwestern Pacific Ocean, as explained by the National Ocean Service.
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