Evacuation Order Issued as Typhoon Mawar Lashes Guam as Category 4 Storm

The Noverlooking Tumon Bay in Guam, as Super Typhoon Mawar closes in on May 23, 2023. (Lt. Junior Grade Drew Lovullo/US Coast Guard via AP)

Guam’s governor has issued a mandatory evacuation order for low-lying coastal areas ahead of Typhoon Mawar. Mawar barreled into Guam as a powerful Category 4 storm Wednesday, pummeling the U.S. Pacific territory with high winds, heavy rains, and a dangerous storm surge that swamped low-lying areas as residents hunkered down in homes and shelters.

The typhoon’s center passed over the northern tip of Guam on Wednesday evening, the National Weather Service said. It is the strongest storm to hit the territory of over 150,000 people in decades.

Meteorologists suspect the storm clipped the far northern part of the island, but otherwise it was in the channel between Guam and its neighbor to the north, Rota, warning coordination meteorologist Landon Aydlett said by telephone. Peak winds at the weather service office in Guam reached 105 mph (169 kph), but it later lost its wind sensors, he said. The building was vibrating, with a “constant, low rumbling,” and doors and windows were shaking, he said.

“We have the peak conditions going on for a couple more hours. I think thrashing is the word I would use,” Aydlett said. “There are trees everywhere at this point. Daylight tomorrow is really going to be a shock to a lot of people.”

The storm’s center hit Guam around 9 p.m. Wednesday, which is Wednesday morning in the continental United States. Guam lies west of the International Date Line and is ahead of the U.S. mainland and Hawaii, which is 3,800 miles (6,115 kilometers) to the east. Manila, the Philippine capital, is 1,600 miles (1,575 kilometers) to the west.

Guam Power Authority said that “almost all of its circuits” have been impacted by the typhoon, leaving only about 1,000 out of its 52,000 customers with electricity as of Wednesday at 3:35 p.m. local time.

“We were able to avoid a complete island-wide blackout when the system severed into two grids,” the authority said in a statement.

“We are working hard to maintain the last remaining customers through the storm which contributes to quicker recovery after the winds die down later tonight or in the early morning hours,” it added.

Guam’s Governor Lou Leon Guerrero ordered the evacuation of low-lying coastal areas on Tuesday as she warned that the island could be directly hit by Typhoon Mawar or become “a very near-miss.”

Guerrero said that Typhoon Mawar is forecasted to be a Category 3 typhoon with sustained winds of 125 mph, but added that it could intensify to a Category 4 typhoon, meaning maximum sustained winds of 150 mph or greater.

“The warning time for storms, while relatively predictable, is unlike a storm surge, which is far more unpredictable and of great concern. When sea levels rise, residents will have merely minutes to evacuate and respond,” Guerrero said.

The Homeland Security Department of Guam said the typhoon is potentially “catastrophic” and could result in “a very serious situation with steadily deteriorating conditions.”

“The triple threat of Category 4 typhoon force winds, torrential winds, and life-threatening storm surge are all expected for Guam. Large storm surge and coastal impacts are likely to occur, particularly for coastal areas,” it stated.

Earlier, the U.S. military sent away ships, President Joe Biden approved an emergency declaration and anyone not living in a concrete house was urged to seek safety elsewhere.

Guam is a crucial hub for U.S. forces in the Pacific, and the Department of Defense controls about a third of the island. Rear Adm. Benjamin Nicholson, Joint Region Marianas commander, authorized the evacuation of defense personnel, dependents and employees in areas expected to be affected.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.