(Los Angeles) “Destructive” gusts of wind hit the island of Guam on Wednesday as Typhoon Mawar passed north of this American territory in the Pacific.
The most exposed populations have taken shelter in refuges at the call of the authorities who fear floods due to heavy rainfall expected when this cyclone passes.
“Destructive gusts of wind are underway and will continue through late evening,” said the US National Weather Service (NWS), which says in its forecast that winds could reach 225 km/h.
After predicting that the typhoon would arrive straight on Guam, the NWS indicated that it is now progressing north of this island of 170,000 inhabitants.
“It appears as it is that the eye of the cyclone is passing over the Rota channel,” island governor Lou Leon Guerrero said on his Facebook account, referring to the channel separating Guam from Rota Island further north.
The official had earlier called on residents to “take shelter immediately”.
“I am in a reinforced concrete house and my shutters are closed. I briefly went out, but the winds are gusting with intermittent rain,” Beckie Merrill, a 46-year-old teacher who found refuge in the south of the island, told AFP.
A flash flood warning has also been issued for the island, where winds of up to 225 km/h have already been recorded according to the island’s Civil Defense Office.
“I worry about the safety of our people. This is the strongest storm in 20 years,” Guam’s governor said.
“Triple Threat”
The NWS warned of the “triple threat” of torrential rains, damaging winds and potentially deadly storm surges (sea level rises).
The arrival of the typhoon also raises fears of potentially fatal coastal flooding phenomena for Guam and Rota, another American island in the Mariana Islands archipelago.
It is “probable” that the tide will exceed its normal level by 2 to 3 meters, warned the meteorological services, warning that the boats “could be torn from their moorings”.
It could even be in the order of 6 to 8 meters “if the worst scenario” occurs.
Authorities also expect the typhoon to bring torrential rains and cause flooding which could in turn cause landslides in the center and southern part of the island, the NWS warned.
According to forecasts, 25 to 38 cm of rain – and more than 50 cm in places – could fall.
military outpost
Faced with these risks of coastal submersion, the authorities of Guam ordered the evacuation of the population from the waterfront and asked everyone to “seek shelter immediately”.
Already, US President Joe Biden declared a state of emergency for Guam on Tuesday so that federal aid can be provided to the island, according to a statement from the White House.
Nearly 22,000 US service members and their families are based on Guam, an island that sees US strategic bombers and nuclear attack submarines pass by.
The island is also home to the United States’ major fuel and ammunition reserves in the Pacific.
About 60 flights departing from or arriving in Guam and scheduled between Tuesday and Thursday have been canceled, AB Won Pat International Airport said.
The weather situation should improve on Thursday.