Super Typhoon Bavi batters Guam and Northern Marianas, Rota reports ‘major damages’

Super Typhoon Bavi, carrying winds equivalent to a category-five hurricane, swept across the United States territories in the western Pacific on Monday, leaving the small island of Rota with reports of “major damages” and large parts of Guam and the Northern Marianas battered by heavy rain and fierce winds.

Eye of the storm over Rota

The National Weather Service (NWS) said the “entirety” of Rota was in the eye of Super Typhoon Bavi, with winds of up to 290 kilometres per hour before the system moved “ever so slowly away” to the west. Local authorities on Rota said they had received reports of “major damages”, though the full extent remained unclear because communications were difficult.

“We are hanging in there. We are experiencing heavy winds and flooding here… Some people are already reporting major damages,”

the Rota Municipal Operations Center’s public information officer Lou Rosario said. Rosario added that some cellphone services were down because of a fallen tower.

Warnings and expected impacts

Prior to the storm’s arrival, the NWS warned that a direct hit on Rota would render much of the island “uninhabitable for weeks, perhaps longer”, forecasting nearly all trees snapped and power outages lasting “weeks to possibly months.”

The NWS also said that winds of 50-80 mph with gusts up to 100 mph were expected to persist through late afternoon and urged caution.

“Residents should remain sheltered in place. NWS continues to describe this as an extremely dangerous and life-threatening situation,”

the agency said.

Broader local effects

Other islands felt the storm’s force at lower intensity: Tinian, northern parts of Guam and the southern tip of Saipan experienced winds equivalent to a category-one hurricane, NWS meteorologist Marcus Landon Aydlett said. He added,

“Super Typhoon Bavi is leaving the area. Gradually, conditions are going to be improving.”

Authorities on Guam warned of heavy rainfall, saying the island could see 20 to 30 centimetres of precipitation, with potential flash flooding.

People sheltering and immediate shortages

Several hundred people sheltered at the Guam Plaza Hotel as windows shook and rain leaked into rooms and stairwells. Hotel general manager Sudipta Basu said the hotel, which had invested in a backup generator in April, was providing shelter primarily for local customers.

Local residents described preparations and losses. Edwin Santa Theresa, a health clinic worker on Tinian, said residents were “prepared” but worried about supplies. He said fuel could be a problem and that his power, which had been restored only four days earlier after a previous typhoon, was out again.

“I just hope that after this typhoon passes, electricity will be restored quickly,”

he said.

On Saipan, Rowell Mariano recalled damage from an earlier April storm, saying

“(Super Typhoon) Sinlaku was stronger because the centre of the storm passed directly over Saipan… Sinlaku was really traumatic for us.”

Small businesses were taking protective measures. Pinky Cubacub said she bought $500 worth of plywood for her eatery on Guam to guard against damage:

“I cannot afford to lose so many days. It hurts,”

she told AFP.

Regional context and climate links

The Northern Marianas and the nearby separate US territory of Guam together are home to around 210,000 people. The region has seen several powerful storms in recent years, including Mawar in 2023.

Scientists and agencies noted broader climate signals. The European Union’s Copernicus Marine Service said the world’s oceans experienced their hottest June on record. The World Meteorological Organization said El Nino has begun in the tropical Pacific and is likely to be strong. Aydlett warned of the implications:

“Our big concern for this being an El Nino year is that it’s going to be a lot busier than we’ve seen in the last five or six years,”

he said.

Outlook

By midday the islands were still being buffeted by fierce winds and driving rain, with many residents holed up indoors. Officials encouraged people to stay sheltered while damage assessments and recovery efforts begin as conditions improve.