With the clock ticking toward the arrival of a powerful “super typhoon,” residents across Guam and the Northern Marianas spent today bracing for impact as fierce winds and driving rain swept the US Pacific territories.
Super Typhoon Bavi is expected to barrel westward across the region early tomorrow, packing maximum sustained winds of up to 280 km/h and gusts reaching 333km/h, the Joint Typhoon Warning Center said.
The National Weather Service (NWS) described Bavi as “very dangerous,” cautioning that areas near the eye could face “catastrophic wind damage,” alongside storm surges and “hazardous” surf.
By this afternoon, streets in Guam and the Northern Marianas — home to about 210,000 people combined — had largely emptied. Police patrolled through communities, urging residents to stay alert and take precautions.
Pinky Cubacub, 55, was among those racing to secure property. As she boarded up the windows of her eatery, she said she had queued early yesterday to buy $500 worth of plywood at a lumber store.
“I cannot afford to lose so many days. It hurts,” she said.
The National Weather Service called the typhoon ‘very dangerous’
Arabella Paulino, 48, who works at a call centre, said her children were unsettled by the storm warnings.
“My girls were saying to me it’s scary. But it will be okay,” she said.
Paulino added that her concrete home offered some reassurance, though she remained wary of flying debris.
“My house is concrete, so the worst that can happen is a window could blow in,” she said.
For visitors, the disruption was immediate. Japanese tourist Miku Sakurai, 25, said she was meant to return to Tokyo with friends, but their flight was cancelled.
“We will stay in the hotel when the storm comes. I am scared,” the office worker said.
Not everyone retreated indoors. At one beach in Guam’s Talofofo Bay, about a dozen surfers headed into rough waters, seizing the chance to ride the wind-driven swell despite the hazards.
“There’s quite a lot of debris in the water but it’s a lot of fun,” said one of them.
This afternoon, there were few cars on the roads in Guam or the Northern Marianas
‘Praying’
The Northern Marianas, in the western Pacific, has a population of around 40,000. Nearby Guam, a separate US territory — though both belong to the Marianas archipelago — is home to about 170,000 people.
Residents have recent memories of extreme weather. Super Typhoon Sinlaku, which struck the region in mid-April, cut electricity for tens of thousands, toppled trees, flipped cars and tore metal roofs from buildings.
And in 2023, Typhoon Mawar — the largest in decades — also left widespread destruction.
The NWS said Bavi is forecast to pass closest to the small island of Rota, the southernmost part of the Northern Marianas, at around 8:00am on Monday (11pm Irish time today).
If Bavi tracks near or directly over Rota — home to roughly 1,500 people — most of the island “will be uninhabitable for weeks, perhaps longer. Many non-concrete, non-reinforced homes will be destroyed, with total roof failure and wall collapse,” the NWS warned.
“Nearly all trees will be snapped or uprooted and power poles downed. Fallen trees and power poles will isolate residential areas. Power outages will last for weeks to possibly months.”
“By working together and taking the necessary precautions, we can help protect our families, neighbors and community. We pray for the safety of our people,” Rota mayor Aubry Hocog said.
El Nino
Beyond the immediate storm track, scientists have pointed to broader ocean conditions that can fuel stronger tropical systems. The European Union’s Copernicus Marine Service said the world’s oceans recorded their hottest June on record and could reach new highs in the months ahead.
Warmer seas can help tropical storms intensify and load the atmosphere with additional moisture, increasing the risk of heavy rainfall.
The World Meteorological Organization warned on Friday that El Nino — a recurring climate pattern that typically appears every two to seven years and lasts nine to 12 months — has already started in the tropical Pacific and is likely to be strong.
The phenomenon warms surface waters in the central and eastern equatorial Pacific Ocean, triggering global shifts in winds, pressure and rainfall patterns.
