DVIDS – News – U.S. Coast Guard, partners prepare for arrival of Typhoon Mawar to Guam, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands

SANTA RITA, Guam — U.S. Coast Guard Forces Micronesia/Sector Guam, federal, territorial, and port partners continue Monday, May 22, 2023, to prepare for Typhoon Mawar, expected to arrive Tuesday.

Typhoon Mawar strengthened and is intensifying as it heads northwest. It is advisable to take advantage of the remaining time to prepare before tropical storm conditions arrive before the typhoon on Tuesday, May 23, 2023, and rapidly deteriorate. Conditions will gradually improve for eastern Yap and western Chuuk states of the Federated States of Micronesia.

U.S. Coast Guard Forces Micronesia Sector Guam is on top of unit storm preparations. The USCGC Myrtle Hazard (WPC 1139) and USCGC Oliver Henry (WPC 1140) crews sortied and are safely out to sea away from the storm, while the third cutter crew on USCGC Frederick Hatch (WPC 1143) remains on their regular patrol away from the affected area. U.S. Coast Guard Station Apra Harbor’s boats are hauled out, trailered, or secured with heavy weather tie-downs. Crew securely fastened all buoys in the buoy yard to concrete sinkers. All ports are ready; commercial traffic departed, and teams prepared container yards for high winds. Crews are staffing all necessary watch sections and are actively working with on-island partners to be ready to conduct post-storm assessments.

The latest updates from the Joint Information Center posted to the Guam Homeland Security / Office of Civil Defense will continue. Guam is currently in Condition of Readiness 2, expecting tropical storm-force winds within 24 hours, and the JIC is providing updated school and shelter information and various closure announcements. Ongoing updates are available from National Weather Service Guam, and installation Facebook pages for more.

According to the National Weather Service, A high surf advisory remains in effect from 3 p.m. this afternoon to 3 p.m. Thursday, for south-facing reefs. The public can expect large breaking waves of 7 to 9 feet in the surf zone. A high risk of rip currents remains in effect from 3 p.m. this afternoon through Thursday afternoon for east and south-facing reefs of the Marianas. The public should also anticipate dangerous swimming and surfing conditions and localized beach erosion. Remain out of the water.

A small craft advisory remains in effect from 3 p.m. this afternoon to 3 p.m. Thursday. Inexperienced mariners should avoid navigating in hazardous conditions, especially those operating smaller vessels.

Port Heavy Weather Condition Yankee is in effect suspending all commercial traffic. Port Heavy Weather Condition Zulu will be set by the U.S. Coast Guard Captain of the Port for Guam and CNMI at 6:30 p.m. Monday, suspending all maritime traffic and any cargo or bunkering operations. Search and rescue assets and crews are standing by, but as the storm approaches, responders may not be able to get on the scene until the storm passes. Social media is not a recommended method to call for assistance as it is monitored intermittently. The use of 911 or VHF FM Channel 16 are the recommended ways to report distress.

For the latest advisory information, visit:

– National Weather Service (NWS) Website: https://www.weather.gov/gum/

– NWS Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NWSGuam/

– Guam Homeland Security/Office of Civil Defense (GHS/OCD) Website: https://ghs.guam.gov/

– GHS/OCD Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GHSOCD/

– Joint Region Marianas (JRM) Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jrmguam

-USCG-