JIC Release No. 1 Tropical Disturbance Heads toward the Marianas; NWS Issues Special Weather Statement

The National Weather Service (NWS) Guam Weather Forecast Office issued a special weather statement for Guam, Rota, Tinian, Saipan, and the Northern Mariana Islands.
As of this morning, a tropical disturbance was centered near 12 degrees north latitude and 168 degrees east longitude, about 1570 miles east of Guam and 230 miles north of Kwajelin in the Northern Marshall Islands. It is expected to drift westward and slowly strengthen over the next few days as it approaches the Marianas early next week.
There is still uncertainty as to the exact track and strength of the system but impacts should begin to be felt by Monday, with the system moving through the MarianasMonday night or Tuesday.

Heavy showers, gusty winds and dangerous marine conditions are likely for at least parts of Guam and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands early next week.

Leaning Forward
Out of an abundance of caution, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Incident Management Assistance Team (IMAT) will deploy to Guam’s Emergency Operations Center to provide support as needed. The FEMA IMAT team is expected to be on Guam by Saturday, before any significant weather changes.
The Offices of Guam Homeland Security and Civil Defense (GHS/OCD) have already begun coordination among the Office of the Governor, Government of Guam agencies, military, and federal partners to increase readiness posture in preparation of any circumstance.

Stay Up To Date
GHS/OCD, with guidance from NWS will continue to monitor the system and provide updates as needed. The community is advised to heed any advisories that come from the NWS in the coming days, as inclement weather reaches the Marianas.

Due to the amount of uncertainty of the system’s exact location and strength when it does reach the Marianas early next week, residents and visitors are advised to stay up to date with the latest information from local media and the following links:

NWS Website: http://www.prh.noaa.gov/guam/
NWS Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NWSGuam/
GHS/OCD Website: https://ghs.guam.gov/
GHS/OCD Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GHSOCD/

For more information, contact GHS/OCD Public Information Officer, Jenna G. Blas at (671) 489-2540 or via email at jenna.g.blas@ghs.guam.gov.

X Flooding is a temporary overflowing of water onto land that is normally dry. Flooding may happen with only a few inches of water, or it may cover a house to the rooftop. There are many possible causes of floods including heavy rain, coastal storms and storm surge, waterway overflow from being blocked with debris, or overflow of levees, dams, or waste water systems. Flooding can occur slowly over many days or happen very quickly with little or no warning, called flash floods.

To learn more, visit https://www.ready.gov/floods

Wildfire

Regularly clean the roof and gutters.
Maintain an area approximately 30’ away from you home that is free of anything that will burn, such as wood piles, dried leaves, newspapers and other brush.
Connect garden hoses long enough to reach any area of the home and fill garbage cans, tubs, or other large containers with water.
Review your homeowner's insurance policy and also prepare/update a list of your home's contents.

Fire Weather

Turn on your TV/radio. You’ll get the latest weather updates and emergency instructions.
Know where to go. If you are ordered to evacuate, know the route to take and have plan of where you will go. Check-in with your friends and family.
Keep your car fueled, in good condition, and stocked with emergency supplies and a change of clothes.

Drought

Conserve water

Take shorter showers.

Turn off the water while brushing your teeth or shaving.
Run the washer less frequently and only when you have a full load.
Water your lawn less frequently and do so when the temperature is cooler in the early morning or late evening.
When you run the tap to heat or cool water, keep a pitcher to store the water and use it to water plants.
Avoid washing your car.

Practice fire prevention

Don't set off fireworks when conditions are dry.
Deposit cigarette butts in the proper receptacle to avoid starting a
Pour water over camp fires and backyard fire pits to ensure they are completely out before leaving them unattended.

Follow directions from local officials. If there are restrictions on water usage, be sure to heed them.

To learn more, visit https://www.ready.gov/wildfires and https://www.ready.gov/drought

X
Typhoons/Hurricanes are massive storm systems that form over the water and move toward land. Threats from typhoons/hurricanes include high winds, heavy rainfall, storm surge, coastal and inland flooding, and rip currents.

“Hurricanes” form in the Atlantic Northeast Pacific region and “Typhoons” form in the Northwest Pacific Region. These large storms are call cyclones in other parts of the world.

To learn more, visit https://www.ready.gov/hurricanes.