Significant damage after super typhoon Bavi hits US Islands
The National Weather Service (NWS) reported that the entire island of Rota, the southernmost island in the Northern Mariana Islands, was in the eye of the typhoon, which was moving “very slowly” westward.
Image of the damage caused by Bavi
Super Typhoon Bavi, with winds equivalent to a Category 5 hurricane, struck the U.S. territories of the Northern Mariana Islands and Guam in the Pacific on Monday, where authorities received reports of “extensive damage.”
The National Weather Service (NWS) reported that the entire island of Rota, the southernmost of the Northern Mariana Islands, was in the eye of the typhoon, which was moving “very slowly” westward.
But the archipelago, located about 9,600 kilometers west of the U.S. mainland, was still experiencing intense winds and downpours at noon, forcing residents to stay indoors.
When the storm made landfall on Monday morning, the NWS urged the 1,500 residents of Rota to “immediately move inland or to a shelter NOW.”
Authorities in Rota, less than 80 kilometers north of Guam, received reports of “extensive damage,” which they were unable to quantify due to communication difficulties.
Roads in Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands
The island of Tinian, northern Guam, and southern Saipan experienced winds equivalent to a Category 1 hurricane.
By Sunday afternoon, the roads in Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands were practically deserted, except for police vehicles and surfers returning after riding the massive waves. Almost all stores were closed, many with their windows boarded up.
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