Super Typhoon Bavi was churning across the Mariana Islands in the western Pacific Ocean on Monday, hammering Guam, Tinian, and Saipan while unleashing catastrophic winds on Rota, according to the U.S. National Weather Service.
Officials warned residents across the island chain to seek shelter immediately as the powerful Category 5 storm made its way through the region. The affected islands include the U.S. commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands and the U.S. territory of Guam, located roughly 3,800 miles west of Hawaii and about 1,550 miles east of the Philippines.
The weather service reported that Bavi’s eyewall was projected to come ashore at Rota shortly after sunrise local time, bringing what forecasters described as “catastrophically destructive” winds reaching up to 180 miles per hour. Wind gusts as high as 215 mph were considered possible.
Rota, the southernmost island in the Northern Mariana Islands chain, is home to approximately 2,000 residents.
The neighboring islands of Guam, Tinian, and Saipan were forecast to endure conditions ranging from severe tropical storm to full typhoon strength on Monday, with winds expected to gradually decrease afterward.
Heavy rainfall accompanied the storm, with the weather service projecting 12 to 20 inches of rain near the storm’s center, significantly raising the danger of flash flooding that could persist through Tuesday night.
The U.S. island territories serve as a critical military hub in the western Pacific, home to several key installations including Andersen Air Force Base, Naval Base Guam, and Marine Corps Base Camp Blaz.
Evacuation centers were opened throughout Guam in preparation for the storm. In a Facebook video posted Sunday, Guam Governor Lou Leon Guerrero called on residents to stay off the roads and remain indoors, saying the administration was “ready and prepared in our planning and our protection of our people.”
