Super Typhoon Bavi hit a small U.S. territory island in the western Pacific near Guam on Monday, unleashing powerful winds and heavy rains across the Northern Mariana Islands. Residents were advised to stay indoors as the storm approached.
The typhoon began affecting the island of Rota early Monday morning, according to the National Weather Service. This region, located east of the Philippines, is still recovering from another destructive cyclone that struck earlier this year.
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On Saipan, the international airport recorded wind gusts exceeding 100 mph (161 kph), according to meteorologist Marcus Landon Aydlett. Many residents of Saipan and nearby Tinian were already without power due to the previous super typhoon earlier this year.
“It’s just a tough year,” Aydlett remarked, highlighting the ongoing challenges faced by the community.
An extreme wind warning was issued for Rota, home to fewer than 2,000 people, as meteorologist Edwin Montvila explained that the cyclone was initially expected to reach category five status, with winds potentially hitting 180 mph (290 kph) and gusts up to 215 mph (346 kph).
Warnings were also in place for Guam, Tinian, and Saipan, while tropical storm alerts were issued for other nearby islands.
This storm follows closely on the heels of Super Typhoon Sinlaku, which was the strongest tropical cyclone of the year and devastated the region in April. Cyclones are classified as super typhoons when they have sustained winds of 150 mph (241 kph) or higher.
Montvila warned that Bavi posed an “imminent danger to life” and urged residents to take immediate shelter in interior rooms, away from windows.
“Going outside can lead to injury or death from flying debris. Utility poles and power lines are likely to be down,” Montvila cautioned. “We advise everyone to stay indoors and hunker down.”
As of Monday morning, Bavi was moving relatively quickly, which gave officials hope that its impact would be brief. However, due to the storm’s size, tropical storm conditions, including heavy rainfall, were expected to persist through at least Monday night.
Montvila described the typhoon’s path as “a bit erratic,” as it moved north and south before continuing westward toward the islands.
Guam Governor Lou Leon Guerrero urged residents to stay home or seek shelter and avoid unnecessary travel. “Here we are experiencing another severe force of winds on our island, but we are always ready and prepared in our planning and our protection of our people,” she said in a social media video on Sunday.
Rev. Francis Hezel, a priest at Santa Barbara Catholic Church in Dededo, Guam, reported hearing the winds howling outside his home for hours since dawn. Despite the storm, he remained hopeful that widespread structural damage would be minimal, as most homes in the area are made of concrete.
“It’s more about inconvenience than anything else,” he stated, acknowledging the risk of power outages that have persisted for days after other recent storms.
Hezel suggested that officials should consider easing the tone of their warnings about approaching typhoons to avoid causing unnecessary fear among residents. “By this time, people are used to typhoons,” he said. “They know how to prepare for them.”
