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Guam Homeland Security Office of Civil Defense personnel opened five emergency evacuation centres in local elementary schools at 7 a.m. local time on July 5 as Super Typhoon Bavi bore down on the US territory and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. Residents anticipating the need for shelter were instructed to arrive before conditions worsened, bringing sufficient supplies for all household members while shutting off home electricity at the main breaker. Transportation assistance to the centres became available through village mayors’ offices, and the office placed Guam under Condition of Readiness 2 with a typhoon warning covering Guam, Rota, Tinian and Saipan. The listed centres include Machananao Elementary School, Astumbo Elementary School, Maria A. Ulloa Elementary School, Ordot-Chalan Pago Elementary School and Talofofo Elementary School.
The National Weather Service placed typhoon-force winds of 119 kilometres per hour or greater in store for all four islands, with the Joint Typhoon Warning Center projecting sustained speeds near 280 kilometres per hour and gusts above 320 kilometres per hour at the storm’s core. Rainfall accumulations of 305 to 508 millimetres within the storm’s path raised the threat of life-threatening flash flooding and mudslides in hilly terrain, while coastal inundation of three to five metres combined with waves of eight to 11 metres threatened low-lying areas with severe erosion. The weather service warned that destructive conditions could persist for eight to 10 hours on either side of the storm’s centre passage, urging those under evacuation orders to move immediately. Dangerous marine conditions were forecast to continue through Thursday.
FEMA approved an emergency declaration for Guam on July 3 covering the period from July 2 onward, enabling federal resources to support local response efforts on an island that hosts major US military installations across roughly one-third of its land area. The Guam Department of Education coordinated the shelter openings while police and public works departments prepared for widespread impacts. Officials emphasised that shelters held limited capacity of around 1,700 people and prioritised vulnerable residents, with one site already reaching maximum occupancy by early afternoon on July 5 and redirecting arrivals elsewhere.
Bavi marks the second super typhoon to threaten the Marianas in 2026 after Sinlaku in April, which a Guam government assessment said killed 17 people and inflicted roughly $1.5 billion in damage across the region. Yale Climate Connections data links the increased frequency and intensity of such storms to warmer sea surface temperatures that supply additional moisture and energy to developing cyclones, a trend amplified during the current El Niño pattern. Over the past decade the islands have endured 11 tropical cyclones of Category 4 or 5 strength, one more than the total recorded in the preceding 57 years according to historical tallies maintained by regional weather authorities.
Local business owners and visitors have begun final preparations amid flight cancellations and supply stockpiling. Pinky Cubacub told AFP she spent $500 on plywood to board up her eatery yet worried about lost revenue after only recently opening the establishment. Japanese tourist Miku Sakurai told the same agency her return flight to Tokyo had been cancelled and that she would shelter in place at her hotel while expressing fear over the approaching system. The storm’s track could still shift, with forecasts indicating a possible passage south of Saipan that would still deliver tropical-storm conditions across a broad area.
The National Weather Service maintains a flood watch through late Tuesday and continues to monitor Bavi’s movement over exceptionally warm Pacific waters that have already allowed rapid intensification. Public advisories stress that the window for safe evacuation narrows quickly once winds begin to rise, and residents outside sturdy structures face life-threatening risks from flying debris. Guam’s population of approximately 170,000 includes a large expatriate community and military personnel whose movements have been restricted by defence authorities in coordination with civilian emergency managers.
