Typhoon Mawar – live: Guam floods captured on video as path shows historic storm headed to Philippines
Guam successfully weathered the strongest storm in years as typhoon Mawar swept across the Western Pacific Island last night.
Mawar made landfall at local time 9pm but the island was battered by heavy rains and powerful winds of up to 240 kph for hours yesterday, that uprooted trees, blew away roofs, and brought the US territory to a standstill.
According to the Guam Power Authority, nearly all of the island’s 52,000 homes and businesses experienced power outages, with only 1,000 retaining electricity.
Despite the intense conditions, the island managed to avoid significant damage. There are no reports of unusual incidents in hospital emergency rooms, and the overall impact included moderate damages such as localised flooding, fallen debris, and downed power lines.
“I am so glad we are safe. We have weathered this storm,” said Guam’s governor Lou Leon Guerrero in a video message.
While the governor said “the worst has gone by“, she urged residents to remain at home until the government declared the situation safe.
The typhoon is now headed towards Philippines with state weather agency expecting it to pass close to the northern region tomorrow or Saturday.
Key points
Super Typhoon Mawar barrels into Guam
Typhoon Mawar to reach Philippines on Friday
Biden issues emergency declaration
PICTURED: Guam prepares for typhoon
Typhoon Mawar could be the most powerful storm to hit Guam in recent decades
Typhoon Mawar ‘reintensifies’ to super typhoon as it heads to Philippines
08:00 , Stuti Mishra
Mawar has “re-intensified” into a super typhoon as it now heads to the Philippines, the state’s weather service said after a brief weakening of the storm after it passed over Guam.
The cyclone is currently packing winds of up to 185km per hour near the centre and gusts of up to 230kph as it moves west-northwestward, according to the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA).
The typhoon passed through Guam yesterday which successfully weathered the storm, believed to be the strongest storm in years to hit the Western Pacific Island.
Flash floods at Guam’s airport
07:00 , Stuti Mishra
More images and videos of damages caused by Typhoon Marwar are emerging from Guam.
A video posted by a resident shows the Guam International Airport flooded after heavy rains lashed the island.
The airport recorded sustained winds of 71 mph with a gust of 105 mph.
Guam Airport pic.twitter.com/5Zsu3XCmKu
— Zayco101 (@AkoMaylanon) May 24, 2023
Typhoon Mawar brings lightning and heavy gusts as it passes close to Guam
06:00 , Andrea Blanco
Video by cyclone interceptor James Reynolds shows lightning and havy gusts of wind as Typhoon Mawar passes close to Guam’s northern edge.
Air is filled with intense, swirling precip whilst lightning illuminates the sky! #typhoon #mawar #guam pic.twitter.com/GTTNzLYa9B
— James Reynolds (@EarthUncutTV) May 24, 2023
The heavy wind and rains have been lashing the US island territory all day, uprooting trees and blowing roofs as residents hunkered down in shelters.
Mawar was projected to pass 11 kilometres northeast of Andersen Air Force Base, close to the village of Yigo on the northern edge of Guam, between 6 and 8 pm.
Typhoon Mawar path: Eye makes landing in Guam before moving towards the Philippines
05:00 , Andrea Blanco
The eye of the storm passed Guam on Wednesday night, but the strongest part could make a catastrophic landing before it moves toward the Philippines.
The Independent has more:
Eye of Typhoon Mawar makes landing in Guam before moving towards the Philippines
WATCH: Hurricane-force winds blast Guam as Typhoon Mawar barrels through Pacific
04:00 , Andrea Blanco
NWS issues extreme winds warning
03:00 , Andrea Blanco
An extreme wind warning is in effect for Dededo GU, Yigo GU, Tamuning GU until 10:45 PM ChST for extremely dangerous hurricane winds. Treat these imminent extreme winds as if a tornado was approaching and move immediately to an interior room or shelter NOW!. pic.twitter.com/JmNpt1Walb
— NWS Guam 🇬🇺 (@NWSGuam) May 24, 2023
US Military sends ship away from Guam
02:00 , Andrea Blanco
Naval Base Guam has been tracking and preparing for the storm since last week, including sending ships away from the island, a standard precaution, base spokesperson Valerie Maigue told the military newspaper Stars and Stripes.
Governor Lou Leon Guerrero said on social media that President Joe Biden’s emergency declaration will support the mobilisation of resources into Guam, which is “especially crucial given our distance from the continental US.”
Mr Guerrero ordered residents of coastal, low-lying and flood-prone areas of the territory of over 150,000 people to evacuate to higher elevations.
Truck blown by extreme winds in Guam
01:00 , Andrea Blanco
The parking lot at my apartment a little while ago as the eye of #super #typhoon #mawar slams #Guam. Lots of us have relocated to the basement. All the units totally flooded, several windows blown out, and the building is shuddering from the wind. pic.twitter.com/IoBSuoTBA2
— Ginger Cruz (@gingercruz) May 24, 2023
Worst storm to strike US Pacific in two decades barrels into Guam
Thursday 25 May 2023 00:00 , Andrea Blanco
Many homes and businesses were left completely without power and water as residents hunkered down inside houses and shelters.
Read the story:
Typhoon Mawar, worst storm to strike US Pacific in two decades, barrels into Guam
Guam Power Authority says only 2 per cent of customers have power
Wednesday 24 May 2023 23:00 , Andrea Blanco
Only one plant on the island is functioning and serving specifically Andersen Air Force Base (AAFB), Camp Blaz Marine Base and a small portion of Dededo village, the Guam Power Authority said in a statement.
Most of the island suffered power outages and only 1,000 of its 52,000 customers still had electricity, according to CNN.
Restoration will begin once the weather conditions are improved.
Flash floods at Guam’s airport
Wednesday 24 May 2023 22:18 , Andrea Blanco
Guam airport flooded as super typhoon hits the island.
Guam Airport pic.twitter.com/5Zsu3XCmKu
— Zayco101 (@AkoMaylanon) May 24, 2023
WATCH: Rain and winds lash Guam as Typhoon Mawar closes in and residents shelter
Wednesday 24 May 2023 22:01 , Andrea Blanco
Guam residents prepare for Category 4 Typhoon Mawar
Wednesday 24 May 2023 22:00 , Andrea Blanco
Nurse speaks up about scene at only public hospital serving the island
Wednesday 24 May 2023 21:48 , Andrea Blanco
Mackenzie Miller, a nurse at Guam Memorial Hospital, said on Facebook that she had come for a four-hour recharge after a 12-hour shift before heading back to work.
“We have all been here for 2 days now sleeping here and working. We can’t even see outside because the doors have been blown in and we can’t get close,” Ms Miller wrote.
“But the hospital is flooding everywhere, ceiling is falling down. The flooding is sparking electrical outlets and causing smoke and fires. The wind is so strong and loud it is shaking the entire building so bad.”
Typhoon Mawar brings lightning and heavy gusts as it passes close to Guam
Wednesday 24 May 2023 21:30 , Andrea Blanco
Video by cyclone interceptor James Reynolds shows lightning and havy gusts of wind as Typhoon Mawar passes close to Guam’s northern edge.
Air is filled with intense, swirling precip whilst lightning illuminates the sky! #typhoon #mawar #guam pic.twitter.com/GTTNzLYa9B
— James Reynolds (@EarthUncutTV) May 24, 2023
The heavy wind and rains have been lashing the US island territory all day, uprooting trees and blowing roofs as residents hunkered down in shelters.
Mawar was projected to pass 11 kilometres northeast of Andersen Air Force Base, close to the village of Yigo on the northern edge of Guam, between 6 and 8 pm.
Residents left with power cut and flood damage as Guam weathers through strongest storm in years
08:22 , Stuti Mishra
Guam successfully weathered the strongest storm in years as typhoon Mawar swept across the Western Pacific Island last night.
Mawar made landfall at local time 9pm but the island was battered by heavy rains and powerful winds of up to 240 kph for hours yesterday, which uprooted trees, blew away roofs, and brought the US territory to a standstill.
According to the Guam Power Authority, nearly all of the island's 52,000 homes and businesses experienced power outages, with only 1,000 retaining electricity.
Despite the intense conditions, the island managed to avoid significant damage.
There are no reports of unusual incidents in hospital emergency rooms, and the overall impact included moderate damages such as localised flooding, fallen debris, and downed power lines.
Typhoon Mawar could be most powerful storm to hit the US Pacific in two decades
Wednesday 24 May 2023 21:00 , Andrea Blanco
President Joe Biden approved an emergency declaration as an intensifying Super Typhoon Mawar approaches Guam.
Anyone not living in a concrete house in the US island territory was urged to seek safety elsewhere/
Emergency shelters began to fill ahead of what could be the most powerful storm to hit the US Pacific territory in decades.
Governor Lou Leon Guerrero said on social media that the declaration will support the mobilization of resources into Guam, which is “especially crucial given our distance from the continental U.S.”
The governor ordered residents of coastal, low-lying and flood-prone areas of the territory of over 150,000 people to evacuate to higher elevations.
AP
What’s the path of Typhoon Mawar?
Wednesday 24 May 2023 20:24 , Andrea Blanco
The storm passed Guam on Wednesday night, the New York Times reports, but the strongest part could make a landing before it moves toward the Philippines later this week.
If Mawar hits Guam as a Category 4 storm, the second highest category, it will be the ninth of that category or stronger to hit the United States or its territories since 2017, according to Yale Climate Connections meteorologist Jeff Masters.
“This is kind of going to be a long night,” a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Guam said during a news briefing. “It is going to be scary. There is no electricity.”
The northern of Guam experienced strong winds, lightning, and heavy rainfall as Mawar moved about eight miles per hour on Wednesday night.
The National Weather Service has issued flash flood warnings for Dededo, Yigo and Tamuning and advised residents to move to higher ground and to avoid driving or walking through flood waters.
Mawar is expected to subside as the centre of the storm slowly pulls away from Guam, but battering winds, heavy showers and strong gusty winds are expected in Guam in the following hours.
“The worst of the conditions will lighten, slowly ending the heavy thrashing of Guam in the next couple of hours,” the National Weather Service said in an advisory issued at 11.30pm EST on Tuesday.
Super Typhoon Mawar has barrelled into Guam
Wednesday 24 May 2023 19:19 , Andrea Blanco
Super Typhoon Mawar has barrelled into Guam, hammering the US territory with hurricane-strength winds of up to 150mph and plunging residents into darkness.
The typhoon made landfall as a powerful Category 4 storm at around 9pm local time on Wednesday night, bringing with it heavy rains and a dangerous storm surge, the National Weather Service said.
Many homes and businesses were left completely without power and water as residents hunkered down inside houses and shelters.
The typhoon marks the strongest storm to hit the US territory in decades.
US Navy will send USS Nimitz to aid Guam
Wednesday 24 May 2023 18:55 , Andrea Blanco
According to the Associated Press, US officials have confirmed the Navy will send the USS Nimitz aircraft carrier strike group to Guam.
President Joe Biden issues emergency declaration
Wednesday 24 May 2023 18:15 , Andrea Blanco
Ahead of the typhoon striking Guam, President Joe Biden approved an emergency declaration for Guam on Monday.
Read the declaration below:
“Yesterday, late evening, President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. declared that an emergency exists in the territory of Guam and ordered Federal assistance to supplement territory and local response efforts due to the emergency conditions resulting from Typhoon Mawar beginning on May 22, 2023, and continuing.
“The President’s action authorizes the Department of Homeland Security, Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), to coordinate all disaster relief efforts which have the purpose of alleviating the hardship and suffering caused by the emergency on the local population, and to provide appropriate assistance for required emergency measures, authorized under Title V of the Stafford Act, to save lives and to protect property and public health and safety, and to lessen or avert the threat of a catastrophe in the territory of Guam.
“Specifically, FEMA is authorized to identify, mobilize, and provide at its discretion, equipment and resources necessary to alleviate the impacts of the emergency. Emergency protective measures (Category B), limited to direct Federal assistance, under the Public Assistance program will be provided at 75 percent Federal funding. “Mr. Benigno B. Ruiz of FEMA has been appointed to coordinate Federal recovery operations in the affected areas.”
WATCH: Storm Mawar intensifies into Super Typhoon with sustained winds of 150mph
Wednesday 24 May 2023 17:12 , Andrea Blanco
Last Category 4 storm to hit Guam was 1976 Pamela
Wednesday 24 May 2023 17:00 , Andrea Blanco
While other storms have skirted Guam, the last Category 4 storm to directly hit the island was Pamela in 1976, University of Miami hurricane researcher Brian McNoldy told the Associated Press.
Typhoon season runs from 1 July to 15 December in the western North Pacific, according to the weather service.
“Mawar isn’t terribly unusual in location, but certainly in strength,” University of Albany atmospheric science professor Kristen Corbosiero, a tropical cyclone expert, said.
Usually, one or two storms a year come within 50 miles of the island, she said.
Storm intensifies, National Weather Service says
Wednesday 24 May 2023 16:36 , Andrea Blanco
The weather service said the storm was intensifying and warned of a “triple threat” of winds, torrential rains and life-threatening storm surge on Guam.
The weather service said the storm could hit southern Guam around midday Wednesday, which is Tuesday evening in the continental United States.
Guam lies west of the International Date Line and is a day ahead of the US mainland and Hawaii, which is 3,800 miles to the east.
If Guam doesn’t take a direct hit, it will be very close, Patrick Doll, the lead weather service meteorologist in Tiyan, Guam, told The Associated Press.
US Military sends help to the island
Wednesday 24 May 2023 16:08 , Andrea Blanco
Guam is a crucial hub for US forces in the Pacific, and the Department of Defense controls about a third of the island.
Naval Base Guam has been tracking the storm since last week and preparing for the storm, including sending ships away from the island, a standard precaution, base spokesperson Valerie Maigue told the military newspaper Stars and Stripes.
Residents have stockpiled supplies and anyone not living in a concrete house was urged to seek safety elsewhere ahead of what the typhoon’s forecast to be a Category 4 storm.
Federal assistance crucial to mitigate damage, governor says
Wednesday 24 May 2023 15:45 , Andrea Blanco
Federal assistance will be needed to save lives and property and “mitigate the effects of this imminent catastrophe,” Gov Lou Leon Guerrero said in a letter to the president requesting a “pre-landfall emergency” for Guam.
Officials warned residents who aren’t in fully concrete structures — many homes on the far-flung island are made of wood and tin — to consider moving.
Typhoon Mawar could be most powerful storm to hit the US Pacific in decades
Wednesday 24 May 2023 15:17 , Andrea Blanco
President Joe Biden approved an emergency declaration as an intensifying Super Typhoon Mawar approaches Guam.
Anyone not living in a concrete house in the US island territory was urged to seek safety elsewhere/
Emergency shelters began to fill ahead of what could be the most powerful storm to hit the US Pacific territory in decades.
Governor Lou Leon Guerrero said on social media that the declaration will support the mobilization of resources into Guam, which is “especially crucial given our distance from the continental U.S.”
The governor ordered residents of coastal, low-lying and flood-prone areas of the territory of over 150,000 people to evacuate to higher elevations.
WATCH: Eye of Super Typhoon Mawar swirls over Guam
Wednesday 24 May 2023 15:14 , Andrea Blanco
What areas will be hit by flash floods?
Wednesday 24 May 2023 14:48 , Andrea Blanco
The National Weather Service has issued flash flood warnings for Dededo, Yigo and Tamuning.
Residents are advised to move to higher ground and to avoid driving or walking through flood waters.
Flash Flood Warning continues for Dededo GU, Yigo GU and Tamuning GU until 7:45 AM ChST pic.twitter.com/QzgWyhLHaT
— NWS Guam 🇬🇺 (@NWSGuam) May 24, 2023
Guam prepare for Category 4 Typhoon Mawar
Wednesday 24 May 2023 14:31 , Andrea Blanco
Biden’s emergency declaration
Wednesday 24 May 2023 14:15 , Rachel Sharp
Ahead of the typhoon striking Guam, President Joe Biden approved an emergency declaration for Guam on Monday.
Read the declaration below:
“Yesterday, late evening, President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. declared that an emergency exists in the territory of Guam and ordered Federal assistance to supplement territory and local response efforts due to the emergency conditions resulting from Typhoon Mawar beginning on May 22, 2023, and continuing. “The President’s action authorizes the Department of Homeland Security, Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), to coordinate all disaster relief efforts which have the purpose of alleviating the hardship and suffering caused by the emergency on the local population, and to provide appropriate assistance for required emergency measures, authorized under Title V of the Stafford Act, to save lives and to protect property and public health and safety, and to lessen or avert the threat of a catastrophe in the territory of Guam.“Specifically, FEMA is authorized to identify, mobilize, and provide at its discretion, equipment and resources necessary to alleviate the impacts of the emergency. Emergency protective measures (Category B), limited to direct Federal assistance, under the Public Assistance program will be provided at 75 percent Federal funding. “Mr. Benigno B. Ruiz of FEMA has been appointed to coordinate Federal recovery operations in the affected areas.”
Flash flood warning in effect on Dededo, Yigo and Tamuning
Wednesday 24 May 2023 13:45 , Rachel Sharp
Flash Flood Warning continues for Dededo GU, Yigo GU and Tamuning GU until 7:45 AM ChST pic.twitter.com/QzgWyhLHaT
— NWS Guam 🇬🇺 (@NWSGuam) May 24, 2023
How climate change makes storms like Typhoon Mawar more likely
Wednesday 24 May 2023 13:15 , Stuti Mishra
The increasing frequency and intensity of cyclones around the world have raised concerns about the role of the climate crisis in shaping these destructive phenomena.
Typhoon Mawar is expected to hit Guam at category 4. It was forecast to deliver the biggest hit in two decades to the US territory in the Pacific.But is global heating playing a role in such storms? The Independent’s senior climate correspondent Louise Boyle explains here.
