SANTA RITA, Guam – The U.S. Coast Guard scrambled to prepare for strengthening Tropical Storm Bolaven. The Joint Typhoon Warning Center forecast brings the storm to typhoon strength as it passes just north of the U.S. Island Territory.
The JTWC and the NWS Guam issued a Typhoon Warning for Saipan and Tinian and a Watch for Guam and Rota in the Northern Mariana Chain. All islands are under a Flood Watch.
Bolaven’s 65-mph winds have churned up 27-foot waves in the Pacific, according to the JTWC. The storm is 230 miles east-southeast of Guam.
The forecast intensifies Bolaven to a typhoon with 80-mph winds and 100-mph gusts at its closest pass to Guam late Tuesday. Further strengthening brings the storm to a Category 2 typhoon, 96-110 mph, as it passes between the islands of Rota and Tinian, according to the NWS Guam.
“All islands will feel the passage of Bolaven, but any one, or two, islands could face a direct hit maximum intensity,” posted the NWS on social media. “A slight shift to the north would bring peak conditions to Tinian and Saipan, whereas a shift to the south would bring stronger conditions to Rota.”
The NHC warns that winds could topple trees, damage roofs to well-constructed homes, as well as cause extensive damage to power lines and poles and result in near-total power loss. The storm surge could reach up to 5 feet on Guam. Rain of 8–14 inches is forecast, with local areas seeing up to 20 inches, which would trigger extensive flash flooding.
Past Guam, the JTWC writes that the storm will then undergo rapid intensification and top out with winds of 150 mph, reaching super typhoon status.
Almost 200,000 people live along coastal areas of the island chain, according to the Red Cross. The islands are still cleaning up after Category 4 Super Typhoon Mawar battered the area in May. Most buildings are still damaged and susceptible to further destruction.
“Mawar made landfall in May and left most of the islands without power, damaged water systems and communication towers and heavily damaged or destroyed a number of structures,” announced the Red Cross in a statement. “Hundreds of Red Cross disaster workers from all over the country deployed to the region to help. The Red Cross is still there, working with partners to support people as they get back on their feet.”
TYPHOON MAWAR DAMAGE IN GUAM REVEALED IN BEFORE AND AFTER SATELLITE IMAGERY OVER US TERRITORY
FEMA already had 200 additional staff on Guam supporting Mawar survivors. The agency deployed an additional 175 people ahead of Bolaven.
The Coast Guard sent larger ships out to sea to ride out the waves and pulled smaller boats on land. Search and rescue crews are standing by, but the USCG warns that they won’t be able to get on the scene until the storm passes.