Super Typhoon Bavi unleashed its fury over the Mariana Islands on Monday, with Guam, Tinian, and Saipan suffering from powerful winds and Rota bearing the brunt of the storm. The U.S. National Weather Service advised residents to find shelter due to Bavi’s Category 5 intensity.
Expected to make landfall on Rota shortly after dawn, Bavi brought ‘catastrophically destructive’ winds, reaching speeds of 180 miles per hour and gusts up to 215 mph. Residents also faced the threat of flash flooding with the storm’s central rain bands producing between 12 and 20 inches of rain.
In preparation, Guam established evacuation centers across the territory with U.S. military bases, including Andersen Air Force Base and Naval Base Guam, on alert. Governor Lou Leon Guerrero advised residents to avoid traveling and to remain indoors as authorities implemented strategic measures to protect the population.
(With inputs from agencies.)