Super Typhoon Bavi made landfall on the US territory of Rota in the western Pacific on Monday, bringing destructive winds, torrential rain and life-threatening conditions to the Northern Mariana Islands and Guam. Authorities warned residents to remain indoors as one of the strongest storms to strike the region in recent years swept across the islands.
National Weather Service meteorologist Brandon Aydlett urged residents to remain sheltered, saying conditions had begun to improve only gradually.
“Hang tight. We’re coming just out of the peak of conditions. It’s going to be a slow improvement, but improvement is coming,” he said.
The typhoon also struck Guam and other parts of the Northern Mariana Islands, where many communities were still recovering from the devastation caused by Super Typhoon Sinlaku in April. On Saipan, wind gusts exceeded 161 kmph (100 mph), while many residents of Saipan and neighbouring Tinian continued to experience power outages left over from the earlier storm.
According to the National Weather Service, Bavi packed sustained winds of up to 290 kmph (180 mph) with gusts reaching 346 kmph (215 mph), placing it among the most powerful storms to hit the region. Typhoon and flash flood warnings remained in effect for Rota, Guam, Saipan and Tinian, with forecasters warning that the storm could dump more than 51 cm (20 inches) of rain before moving away.
Meteorologist Edwin Montvila described the storm as posing an “imminent danger to life,” warning residents against venturing outdoors.
“Entering outside can result in death from flying projectiles. Utility poles and associated power lines will be down,” he said.
Although Bavi was moving faster than Sinlaku, its large size meant tropical storm-force winds and heavy rainfall were expected to continue across the islands through at least Monday night.
Guam Governor Lou Leon Guerrero urged residents to remain at home or in designated shelters.
“Here we are experiencing another severe force of winds on our island, but as we know, we are always ready and prepared in our planning and our protection of our people,” she said in a video posted on social media.
The Rev. Francis Hezel of Santa Barbara Catholic Church in Dededo said powerful winds had battered the island since before dawn but expressed hope that widespread destruction could be avoided because many homes on Guam are built with reinforced concrete.
“By this time, people are used to typhoons. They know what they have to do to prepare for them,” he said.
