Heavy Rainfall Possible Sunday and Monday; Officials Monitor Disturbance North of Pohnpei

The National Weather Service (NWS) Guam Weather Forecast Office continues to monitor all activity in the region, including a broad disturbance, JTWC Invest Area 93W. The system is located north of Chuuk and Pohnpei, centered near 7 degrees north latitude and 152 degrees east longitude.

This disturbance, currently a broad surface trough, is expected to approach the Marianas and pass by Monday or Monday night. There is some possibility a circulation could form within this trough and possibly pass near or south of Guam around that time frame. However, expectations are that this approaching disturbance will cause east to northeast winds to increase early Sunday into Monday with showers and thunderstorms also increasing late tonight into Sunday. These showers and thunderstorms will persist through Tuesday before diminishing midweek. Model guidance shows the possibility for heavy rainfall that could result in short-term localized flooding in poor drainage areas. Winds of 15 to 20 mph are expected through tonight, increasing to 20 to 25 mph Sunday. Winds could gust to 30 mph at times through at least Tuesday. The increasing winds and northeast swell will make seas choppy and hazardous to small craft.

To prepare for any circumstance, the community is reminded to take the following precautionary measures:

Stay up to date with the latest information. Watch for flood advisories.
Those living in areas prone to flooding should be prepared to take action; clear drainage areas and unblock clogged storm drains in your area to minimize the chance of flooding.
In inclement weather, do not camp, park, or hike along streams, rivers, and creeks during heavy rainfall. These areas can flood quickly and with little warning.
Avoid hazardous surf and seas.

A small craft advisory remains in effect for the coastal waters of Guam, Rota, Tinian, and Saipan until 6 p.m. Tuesday. East winds of 15 to 25 knots with gusts up to 30 knots are expected. Conditions will be hazardous to small craft. Inexperienced mariners, especially those operating smaller vessels, should avoid navigating in hazardous conditions.

A high surf advisory is in effect for Guam, Rota, Tinian, and Saipan through Tuesday afternoon. Surf will build up to 9 feet along north facing reefs and up to 12 feet along east facing reefs of the Marianas Sunday.

A high risk of rip currents remains in effect through Tuesday. Rip currents can sweep even the best swimmers away from the shore into deeper water. Inexperienced swimmers should remain out of the water due to dangerous surf conditions. If caught in a rip current, do not swim against the current. Swim in a direction following the shoreline, face the shore and call or wave for help. High surf will also cause localized beach erosion.

The Offices of Guam Homeland Security and Civil Defense (GHS/OCD) remind the community to avoid hazardous surf and seas until conditions subside. Prepare for heavy rainfall.

Visit the following links for the latest advisory information:

NWS Website: https://www.weather.gov/gum/
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

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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.