Super Typhoon Bavi Crosses Rota; Warnings Continue for Nearby Islands

Super Typhoon Bavi made landfall on the island of Rota in the Northern Mariana Islands on Monday morning local time. The eye of the storm passed directly over the island, delivering sustained winds of more than 150 mph. Local authorities on Rota received reports of major damages after the passage.

Typhoon and flash flood warnings were in effect for Guam, Tinian and Saipan, while tropical storm warnings and watches remained in place for other islands in the Northern Mariana Islands. Guam opened five evacuation centers in schools with a combined capacity of around 1,700 people.

One center reached maximum capacity by 13:00 local time on Sunday, and power outages were already reported throughout the island that day.

Guam Governor Lou Leon Guerrero urged residents to stay home or at a shelter. The Northern Mariana Islands and Guam are home to about 210,000 people combined. Rota lies less than 80 km north of Guam.

The U.S. National Weather Service stated the storm could bring at least 20 inches of rain to the region. The Port Authority of Guam suspended operations, some flights were canceled, and Andersen Air Force Base restricted access to essential personnel only.

Winds are not forecast to fall below typhoon force until early afternoon on Monday and below tropical storm force until after midnight. The storm was traveling west at about 9 mph toward the Philippines and could produce waves nearly 11 m high. The region is recovering from Super Typhoon Sinlaku, which struck in mid-April and killed 17 people while causing about $1.5 billion in damage.

Wind gusts of more than 161 km/h were recorded at the airport on Saipan.