Flood Damage Recovery Continues; EOC Deactivates this evening

Multi-Agency Response to Flood Damage

The Guam Homeland Security/Office of Civil Defense (GHS/OCD) Emergency Operations Center (EOC) was operational in support of flood damage response from severe rains earlier in the week. The EOC will deactivate this evening at 6 p.m. and will not reopen for this event, unless significant information is received that warrants the EOC support.

The Department of Public Works (DPW), in conjunction with the Mayors Council of Guam (MCoG) plan to continue to work on the flood related event through the weekend, until major reported problem areas are cleared and debris is reduced safely. DPW and MCoG will be in contact with the GHS/OCD 24/7 watch desk to facilitate any other multi-agency resources required. The Guam National Guard (GUNG) has successfully assisted DPW with flood damage areas in the past two days. The GUNG assets utilized for the flood damage response will secure at 6 p.m. this evening and no longer be activated in support of this event.

The following locations have been or will be completed today:
o   Naki Street, Chalan Pago – Debris removed and road cleared
o   Fonte River Location (White Lady Bridge) – Debris removed and road cleared
o   Barcinas area, Merizo – Debris removed and road cleared previously
o   Umatac Bay Location – Expected completion today, debris removed and road clearing

The following locations will continue to be assessed and/or worked on through the weekend:
o   Mapao St. Talofofo – Roadwork planned to compact gravel
o   Famha, Ordot – Roadwork planned to compact gravel
o   Umatac Bridge – Debris clearing
o   Rt. 1 “Dead Man’s Curve” location, Asan, past Adelup - Roadwork
o   Roads in various villages based on MCoG assessments

Road Closure

Rt. 1, “Dead Man’s Curve” location, Asan northbound lane is closed as DPW continue work on clearing the culverts and will reopen around 6:30 p.m. this evening. The northbound lane will be re-closed around 8 a.m., tomorrow, to allow DPW to continue work on clearing the culverts. Practice caution while driving through the area and allow for responder crew access.

Weather
There are no watches or warnings in effect for Guam or the Marianas. The current forecast for Guam includes:
o   Tonight: Mostly cloudy with isolated showers, with east winds 10 to 15 mph
o   Friday: Partly sunny with isolated showers, with east winds 10 to 15 mph
o   Friday night: Mostly cloudy with isolated showers, with east winds around 10 mph
o   Saturday: Partly sunny in the morning then becoming partly cloudy with isolated showers and east winds 10 to 15 mph
o   Saturday night and Sunday: Partly cloudy with isolated showers

“The weather has significantly cleared, allowing for the proper recovery from the flood related event,” stated George Charfauros, Homeland Security Advisor. “We remind the community that the inclement weather can return and is expected to do so, since we are in our typhoon season. That being said, we may encounter these flood issues in the future but are working to mitigate as much as we can now. We’d like to thank our partners in the Government, the military and our federal counterparts for their coordination behind the scenes, especially to the Boots-On-The-Ground men and women with DPW, MCoG and the National Guard who have worked and continue to work hard to keep our roadways clear and safe. Thank you to the community for their continued vigilance during emergency events such as these,” Charfauros continued.

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.