While the all-clear was given on Guam and the Northern Marianas, emergency officials warned that coastal waters will remain hazardous for the coming days, and residents were advised to stay out of the ocean.
In a message with Gov. Lou Leon Guerrero announcing the return to Condition of Readiness 4 after the passage of Super Typhoon Bavi, Lt. Gov. Josh Tenorio urged people to be cautious.
“The waters are still dangerous, and there are a lot of hazards out there, so please be safe, please be careful, look out for others, and we’ll all get through this together,” Tenorio said.
The National Weather Service reported that strong winds and dangerous seas and surf east of Bavi will continue to generate potentially deadly rip currents along south- and west-facing reefs and beaches on Guam, Rota, Tinian and Saipan.
Guam Power Authority crews were working on repairs to transmission lines to energize all substations and address water well issues. As of 3 p.m. Tuesday, the power generation capacity was 17%.
In the Northern Mariana Islands, crews were working to restore power, water and wastewater services on Saipan and power service on Tinian within the next 24 hours, according to an announcement from Commonwealth Utilities Corp.
On Rota, assessments were ongoing.
Rota took a direct hit from the 180 mph storm on Monday, with Super Typhoon Bavi’s eye encircling the island.
The island’s mayor advised residents that although the all-clear was given, hazards remain.
Utility poles and power lines are down, and fallen trees and large rocks are in roadways. Buildings are damaged, structures are unstable and some areas are flooded.
Meanwhile, forecasters were also keeping an eye on a tropical disturbance in the Marshall Islands.
Invest 97W is rated as sub-low for development.
“This means that development is not expected at this time,” the National Weather Service stated in a regional weather roundup. “It is not a typhoon, tropical storm, or even a tropical depression; rather, it is a tropical disturbance—an area of showers, thunderstorms and gusty winds, that may or may not include a surface circulation. 97W may or may not develop. It's simply too early to say.”
