People in Guam and the Northern Marianas moved to emergency evacuation centers as super typhoon Bavi sparks evacuation warning.
According to Times of Malta, people on Sunday, July 5, made quick preparations to leave house as a "super typhoon" was projected to bulldoze through the US Pacific territories.
Super Typhoon Bavi was forecast to roar westwards over the area at around 10:00 Monday (0000 GMT) with winds of 260 kilometers (160 miles) per hour, equivalent to a category 5 hurricane, and gusts of up to 315 kph.
‘Very dangerous’ typhoon
The National Weather Service (NWS) called the typhoon "very dangerous", warning of "tropical storm force" winds from Sunday afternoon or evening and "catastrophic" damage near the system's center later.
The NWS said, “Significant flooding from torrential rains, and coastal inundation are expected,” with projected waves of up to 35 feet (10.7 meters), the height of a 10-storey building, creating "extremely dangerous" conditions at sea.
There were few cars on the roads in Guam on Sunday as heavy rain and strong winds lashed the island.
Super Typhoon Sinlaku, which hit the region in mid-April, knocked out power for tens of thousands of inhabitants, uprooted trees, overturned cars and ripped metal roofs off buildings.
In 2023 another massive typhoon, Mawar, the biggest in decades, caused devastation too.
Evacuation orders
By Sunday morning, Bavi was forecast to pass nearest to Rota, a small island roughly halfway between Guam and Saipan, the Northern Marianas' main island and home to around 1,500 people.
"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.
Teams from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) were on the ground in Guam and its distribution center was stocked with 1.1 million liters of water, 1.2 million meals, 6,700 cots and 90 generators.
Authorities had "learned a lot of lessons that came from Mawar" and were better prepared when Sinlaku hit, said local official Damon Michael Borja, noting areas such as electricity and water supply "and just overall the health and safety of our people."
The NWS said the "window to evacuate or seek shelter is closing", and Guam opened five evacuation centers in schools with total capacity of 1,900, primarily for those in vulnerable homes.
