JIC Release No. 4 - All Public Schools, GovGuam to Close by 1 p.m. Friday - GHS OCD

Hagåtña, Guam – Acting Governor Joshua F. Tenorio, in consultation with Guam Homeland Security/Office of Civil Defense, the National Weather Service and the Guam Department of Education, has ordered that non-emergency Government of Guam services end at 1 p.m. Friday, February 22, 2019, in anticipation of Typhoon Wutip.

All Guam Department of Education (GDOE) students are scheduled to be released from school before 1 p.m. Preparations are now underway between the Department of Public Works and GDOE to ensure smooth school bus operations for all public school students. Government of Guam Directors and Agency Heads are directed to identify and allow the early release of all non-essential employees at 1 p.m.

Acting Governor Tenorio intends to place Guam under Condition of Readiness 2 (COR 2) no later than 4 p.m. Friday.

“We want to give students, parents and GovGuam employees enough time to go home so they can avoid rush hour traffic at 4 p.m.,” said Acting Governor Tenorio. “This will give families enough time to make any last minute preparations. It will also give us time to prepare our emergency school shelters for those who may not feel safe in their current dwellings.”

The community is reminded that weather conditions may change. Should the track or intensity of the storm change overnight, plans may be altered. It is important to stay up to date with the latest information.

“We will continue to closely monitor the storm and get guidance from our Homeland Security Advisor and the National Weather Service on how best to proceed to ensure the safety of all our people,” Acting Governor Tenorio said.

LOCATION OF STORM

As of 7 p.m., Typhoon Wutip was located at latitude 7.2 degrees north and longitude 148.8 degrees east, about 215 miles west of Chuuk and 510 miles south-southeast of Guam; moving west-northwest at 16 mph with maximum sustained winds now at 85 mph.

On its current track, Wutip’s closest point of approach (CPA) to Guam is expected around midnight Saturday about 150 miles southwest of Guam. Although the CPA is expected around midnight Saturday, the onset of damaging winds of 39 mph or more is expected around 3 a.m. Saturday and is expected to last through Sunday. The onset of destructive winds of 58 mph or more is not expected at this time. The worst conditions will be Saturday night into Sunday morning. Rainfall of 4-6 inches is expected during Wutip’s passage.

GDOE EARLY RELEASE TIMES

11:00 a.m.
Southern High School
Tiyan High School
John F. Kennedy High School
J.P. Torres Success Academy

11:30 a.m.
George Washington High School
Okkodo High School
Simon Sanchez High School

All elementary schools and Head Start will be released at 12:00 p.m.

All middle schools will be released at 12:45 p.m.

ASPIRE and after school sports programs scheduled for Friday afternoon are canceled. Sports programs scheduled for Saturday are also canceled.

GDOE parents are asked to begin picking up students at the specified release times. Busing services will be provided to transport students home.

DoDEA schools will remain open for normal hours of operation Friday.

Students from other non-aligned schools should rely on official notifications from their schools regarding release times. The Joint Information Center will continue to update as soon as verified information is received.

Visit the following links for the latest advisory information:

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/
Joint Region Marianas Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jrmguam/

For more information, contact the GHS/OCD 24/7 watch desk at (671) 475-9600.

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.

JIC Release No. 4 - All Public Schools, GovGuam to Close by 1 p.m. Friday