State of emergency declared for Guam; Bavi officially upgraded to Category 5 super typhoon

By Pacific Island Times News Staff

(Updated at 2:50 p.m.)

Gov. Lou Leon Guerrero has declared a state of emergency for Guam as the island braces for the arrival of Typhoon Bavi, which weather forecasters predict will develop into a Category 5 super typhoon with maximum sustained winds of 105 mph.

The emergency declaration, signed Thursday, will remain in effect for 90 days "unless extended," reads the governor's executive order.

Bavi was upgraded from a tropical storm to a typhoon overnight with maximum sustained winds of 80 mph, making it a Category 1 storm and maintaining a steady trend of intensification, the National Weather Service said.

As currently forecast, this latest track still forecasts as a super typhoon to be

 passing through the Marianas, still near, or just south of Tinian, mid to late Monday morning.

NWS said Bavi's rapid intensification is expected today and over the next day or two as it tracks toward the Mariana Islands.

At 1 p.m., the center of Typhoon Bavi was located near 12.7N 154.8E.

Bavi is moving west at 15 mph and is expected to maintain this general course with a decrease in forward speed through the weekend.

Maximum sustained winds have increased to 105 mph.

Bavi is forecast to intensify further through the weekend and become a super typhoon Saturday morning as it continues toward the Marianas. Typhoon force winds extend outward from the center up to 50 miles.

Tropical storm force winds extend outward from the center up to 160 miles to the north and up to 105 miles to the south.

The waters and the surf are projected to rise up to 25 feet.

"I have to say that it's not looking good,” the governor said after receiving a briefing from NWS.

"I ask all of you to take this very seriously. And the only positive thing is it's moving fast, not as slow as in Sinlaku. And so the duration won't be as long."

Archbishop Ryan Jimenez called on the Catholic faithful to join in prayer

before the storm.

“My dear people of Guam and the Marianas, once again we brace ourselves from devastating forces for which we have no control,” Jimenez said.

“Numerous weather advisories warn of the potential for this storm to develop into a super typhoon. There is much fear and anxiety in our communities, especially among the frail, elderly, infirmed, children and our brothers and sisters in the Northern Marianas who are still suffering from the previous typhoon," her added.

With two to three days ahead, NWS said changes can and will still occur and the overall track could still shift farther south and closer to Guam, or farther north.

At 3 p.m. today, the governor will place Guam in Condition of Readiness  3, in anticipation of damaging winds and rains within 48 hours. On Saturday, she intends to place the island in COR 2.

Following the emergency declaration, the governor authorizes overtime and emergency procurement for heavy equipment rental, debris removal, nursing and medical support services for community health centers, typhoon shelter operations, lodging for displaced residents and the purchase of supplies, materials, goods, services or other expenditures, allowing up to $250,000 in emergency expenses.

ADVERTISEMENT

The governor signed Sen. Telo Taitague's Bill 339-38, authorizing the use of unexpended funds from the $25 million emergency funds for Typhoon Sinlaku to support mobilizing resources to prepare the island for Typhoon Bavi.

The bill, now Public Law 38-134, provides $8 million in total funding for Typhoon Bavi preparedness and response efforts.

As amended, the measure prioritizes $4.75 million for village mayors, allocating $250,000 to each village; $100,000 for administrative expenses of the Mayors’ Council of Guam; and $1.25 million for the Guam Department of Education to support five schools to be used as shelters. The remaining $1.9 million will be available for other critical preparedness and response needs.

The legislature passed the bill during an emergency session Thursday night.

Rather than appropriating new funding, Taitague said the measure authorizes the governor to use remaining funds for critical emergency operations should Guam be affected by the approaching storm.

"Guam remains in the potential impact area of Tropical Storm Bavi, and the National Weather Service has indicated the storm could rapidly intensify," said Taitague said.

"This measure allows us to over-prepare rather than under-prepare. By keeping these emergency funds flexible and available, we ensure our government can immediately protect lives, support families, and safeguard our communities if conditions worsen," she added.

The bill also establishes an order of priority for the distribution of emergency funding; first to village mayors, second to the Mayor's Council of Guam and third to activated GDOE shelter sites.

“Although Typhoon Sinlaku spared Guam from a direct hit last year, we know how quickly conditions can change," Taitague said. "This legislation ensures our villages, emergency shelters, first responders and emergency management teams have the resources they need before, not after, a storm strikes."

Meanwhile, the U.S. Coast Guard Captain of the Port for Guam and the Marianas set Port Heavy Weather Condition (PHWC) X-Ray for the Ports of Guam and the CNMI effective 8 a.m. today.

Under PHWC X-RAY, the COTP orders the following:

• Shoreside facilities, terminals, and commercial vessels 200 gross tons or greater must begin preparing to complete cargo operations. Non-approved vessels must prepare to depart the Ports of Guam and the CNMI.

• "Dead" ships and any vessels or barges unable to put to sea must promptly submit a written application to the COTP to remain in port.

  
  

Vessel and facility operators may be affected further as conditions change.

Under the next condition, PHWC Yankee, all commercial vessels with a gross tonnage of 200 or more must depart, and inbound vessels are prohibited from entering the port without specific written approval. Based on current projections, PHWC Yankee could be set as early as 8 a.m. ChST on Saturday.

Subscribe to

our digital

monthly issue