As of 5 p.m. Saturday, October 7, 2023, the National Weather Service Guam office’s chief meteorologist said every resident of Guam, Rota, Tinian, and Saipan should be using this weekend to prepare as though a typhoon will hit any one of our islands between Tuesday and Wednesday. That doesn’t mean a typhoon will hit any of our islands directly.
But Tropical Depression 15W is heading in our general direction, and is expected to intensify. As of now, 15W is predicted to become a tropical storm by Sunday night, and a typhoon by Monday. During that intensification period, it will be traveling from the Federated States of Micronesia toward the Mariana Islands, according to Landon Aydlett, the chief meteorologist.
It can be a direct hit to any one, or combination of the main islands of the Marianas. It can be a complete miss. It can travel between our islands. But, one thing is growing in certainty: all of our islands will experience heavy winds and rainfall, and all of our islands are in the crosshairs of receiving at least tropical storm-force winds and rains.
Those weather conditions can damage homes, especially homes that are not fully concrete and do not have window shutters or other type of protective coverings.
“Prepare your storm readiness kits now,” Mr. Aydlett said. “Gas your cars, get your batteries and your flashlights, clear up your yards this weekend.”
The currently-predicted onset of damaging winds and rains still is more than 72 hours away, so changes to this forecast can and likely will happen. That is why, Mr. Aydlett says, it is important to continue monitoring the news of the storm’s development. As the storm gets closer to this region, possibilities will turn into certainties.
Radio networks and communications
Guam Homeland Security/Office of Civil Defense public affairs officer Jenna Blas said the government of Guam already is networking with the various radio stations to prevent what happened as Typhoon Mawar devastated Guam in late May, when all but one radio station went down and thousands of mobile subscribers had no phone or internet services. The public affairs catastrophe left the majority of the island without a way of accessing critical recovery information.
“We’re definitely preparing for the worst,” Ms. Blas said about the possibility radio stations and other means of the impending Joint Information Center being able to communicate with the public goes down.
“Right after Typhoon Mawar there were already meeting taking place with our telecommunications partners as well as our media broadcasters, so we’ve been forging those partnerships and making sure to see and check in with them what their capabilities are, making sure we know what they’re lacking, if there’s anything we can do to assist. But we’re making sure that our communication lines are open so that we know right away if there are any issues.”
Both DOCOMO PACIFIC and IT&E issued statements confirming their preparation efforts.
“Starting yesterday, our dedicated technology and facility teams have initiated comprehensive storm preparations to ensure the safety and security of our mobile and fixed network, as well as all critical facilities in Guam and CNMI,” Docomo communications manager Jared Roberto said. “These storm preparations will persist over the next few days as we remain committed to safeguarding our operations, assets, and employees. We encourage all our friends, families, and residents of Guam and the CNMI to stay safe.”
“We are ensuring our generators are fueled, recovery team identified, and preparing as we monitor the storm,” IT&E CEO Jim Oehlerking said.
CNMI governor to release information Sunday morning
The CNMI’s governor, Arnold Palacios, said he will be issuing detailed information about preparedness efforts in Rota, Tinian, and Saipan following his Sunday morning briefing with his homeland security advisor and FEMA and NWS officials.
GovGuam is better prepared compared to Mawar
Guam’s governor, Lou Leon Guerrero, was widely criticized for her post-Mawar handling of the disjointed recovery effort. Officials at the GHS/OCD today, however, agreed GovGuam was “rusty” when Mawar hit more than 20 years after Pongsona. The experience brought the government, military, and private sector’s response coordinators into practice.
Prodding response activity coordinators of the government and the military assembled at the Guam Emergency Operations Center today to recall the recent Mawar experience, Mr. Aydlett told them, “Things that went well, do it again. Things that didn’t work well, make the changes now.
According to Lou Leon Guerrero’s director of communications, Krystal Paco-San Agustin, the Department of Public Works already has pre-positioned equipment “in problematic flood areas islandwide and will continue to provide support, if available, as additional requests come in.”
Prior to Friday’s public heavy weather briefing, the NWS officials briefed island mayors and vice mayors.
“We are getting requests for resources from the mayors,” Ms. Blas confirmed, adding they feel better prepared to respond following the next big typhoon.
As of Saturday evening, neither Governor Palacios nor Governor Leon Guerrero have activated each territory’s Emergency Operations Center or Joint Information Center. “We are prepared to activate once warranted,” Ms. Paco-San Agustin said.
Plans for sheltering Guamanians during and after any storm also are in place, she said. “GDOE has a shelter plan for Tier 1 shelters, with 15 identified schools to be used based on the need, availability, etc. [The mayors] have identified Tier II shelter locations.”
Asked whether Guam Memorial Hospital will be able to operate during and after a typhoon, if one hits, Ms. Paco-San Agustin said, “GMH will continue to operate and is prepared to deliver the same services to our people using the protocols in place for typhoon and other emergencies.”
FEMA remains from Mawar, with more workers on the way
The governor and her legal team also are preparing to make various requests to the President and federal agencies in the event aid is needed.
“Additionally, [Federal Emergency Management Officials] officials responding to Typhoon Mawar are still on the island and ready to provide support, with additional on the way,” Ms. Paco-San Agustin said.
Veronica Verde, the FEMA public affairs officers who has been on the ground since Mawar, confirmed this. She was scheduled to leave Guam next week, but her assignment has been extended in light of the impending storm to the Mariana Islands.
“We still have 200 people here … we’re also deploying an additional nearly 200 coming here to Guam and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands,” Ms. Verde said. “We don’t know quite where the storm is gonna hit, but we’re taking preparation now, looking to see what needs to happen, coordinating with local government, and finding out what may be some of the resources needs.”
Ms. Verde confirmed FEMA (through U.S. Department of Health and Human Services) is standing by to assist with medical resources for the hospitals in Guam and the CNMI, if the need arises. For example, she said, following Mawar FEMA flew in 20 cases of blood to Guam, and brought in doctors and nurses to assist both in Guam and the CNMI.
Power and water
Kandit has yet to receive information from either Guam Power Authority, Guam Waterworks Authority, or the Commonwealth Utilities Corporation on utilities readiness. As soon as information comes in, we will publish such.
