U.S. Military Moves Planes, Ships Off Guam Ahead of Super Typhoon Mawar
The U.S. military is moving its planes and naval ships off Guam as Super Typhoon Mawar barrels closer to the island.
The super typhoon forecast shows the storm making a direct hit to the U.S. territory—or if not—passing very close. Two inches of rain have already fallen from the outer fringe of the storm, which is tracking northwest toward Guam at 6 to 7 mph. AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Carl Erickson told Newsweek that the storm is expected to make landfall within the next 10 hours.
To prepare, Naval Base Guam sent its ships away from the shore and Andersen Air Force Base aircraft departed the island or have taken shelter in hangars, according to a report by Stars and Stripes. Members of the U.S. military stationed there were advised to seek shelter and remain indoors.
Newsweek has reached out to Naval Base Guam via phone and Andersen Air Force Base via email for comment.
Erickson told Newsweek that Guam—more than 3,300 miles west of Hawaii—is expected to endure the heaviest of the typhoon's onslaught for a 12-hour period. The brunt of the storm is expected to hit the island by Tuesday night and persist through Wednesday morning.
Sustained winds of 80 to 120 mph are anticipated, with gusts reaching 160 to 180 mph. Super Typhoon Mawar is classified as a Category 5 storm. Erickson said it is the strongest typhoon to hit the island since 2002, when Pongsona walloped the island, inflicting $1 billion in damages.
"We are expecting a very dangerous situation here," Erickson told Newsweek, adding that there will likely be extensive wind damage, power outages, life-threatening storm surge and coastal flooding.
Eight to 15 inches of rain are forecast for the island, with some areas receiving up to 24 inches. The storm also poses risks of flash flooding and mudslides.
President Joe Biden declared an emergency for the territory Tuesday evening, allowing access to federal assistance for the storm. The action authorizes the Federal Emergency Management Agency to coordinate the relief effort.
A typhoon is classified as a severe tropical cyclone occurring in the Northwest Pacific. A hurricane is the term for the same type of storm in the Northeast Pacific and Northern Atlantic. Outside of these regions, the storms are called tropical cyclones.
