Residents urged to stay indoors and stay secured; Guam remains in COR4

Guam remains in Condition of Readiness 4. Tropical Storm Maria rain and winds are increasing road hazards.

All residents urged to remain indoors and stay secured until the worst of the winds are down.

Guam Department of Education summer school classes are cancelled.

Conditions are being evaluated to determine whether GovGuam operations will open at 8 a.m.

The Department of Public Works, Guam Police Department and other safety agencies will be out on Guam’s roads early this morning to help ensure safety on the roads.

The Department of Homeland Security/Office of Civil Defense is monitoring roads. As of 5 a.m. today:
- There are trees or downed power poles that have been toppled over through Route 4 Evangelical Christian Academy School in Chalan Pago; Wolford Heights Road in Talofofo; Route 17 by Windmill 2 downed poles; Chapel Road, Canada Barrigada;

Additionally, there are several traffic lights that are not working:

Route 4 & Route 4A, downed street light
Tri-Intersection in Barrigada (Routes 8, 10, 16)
Route 8 going to Agana from Maite
Route 4 and West O’Brien Drive intersection (Between Agana Shopping Center and Judiciary)
Marine Corps Drive, Route 1 in Yigo and Dededo, traffic lights are out.

At 5 a.m., the National Weather Service (NWS), Weather Forecast Office Guam, updated the advisory for Tropical Depression 10W, Tropical Storm Maria is moving toward the west-northwest at 8 mph. Maria is currently passing over extreme northern Guam and is now moving off Ritidian Point.

Tropical Storm force winds extend outward up to 90 miles east of the center and up to 65 miles west of the center.

Watches and Warnings:

A tropical storm warning remains in effect for Guam, Rota and adjacent waters. Tropical storm conditions, including damaging winds of 39 mph or more, are occurring this morning.

A tropical storm watch remains in effect for Tinian, Saipan and adjacent waters. Tropical storm conditions, including damaging winds of 39 mph or more remain possible later today.

Advisories:

There is an urban and small stream flood advisory in effect until 7:15 a.m. Rivers or stream flows are elevated, or ponding of water in urban or other areas is occurring or imminent.

A thunderstorm advisory is now in effect for the Guam International Airport until 6 p.m. Thursday evening. Thunderstorms are possible within 20 nautical miles of the airport.

A wind advisory remains in effect for the Guam International Airport and has been extended to 6 p.m. Thursday evening. Winds from the east-northeast at 29 mph with gusts to 44 mph in showers, shifting to the east-southeast at 39 mph with gusts to 54 mph in showers near noon Thursday. Be alert and take precautions as needed.

A flash flood watch remains in effect for Guam, Rota, Tinian, and Saipan through Friday morning. Heavy rainfall is expected as the tropical depression passes through the Marianas overnight and on Thursday. Due to its slow motion, there is potential for excessive rainfall and flash flooding, especially across Guam and Rota. Rainfall of 4 to 6 inches is possible with locally higher amounts, especially for Guam and Rota.

Residents who are concerned that their homes may not be able to withstand tropical storm conditions can call the GHS/OCD Watch Desk 478-0290 for coordination with village Mayor’s offices. The GHS/OCD 24/7 Watch Office will coordinate non-emergency individual requests for assistance from village mayors, government of Guam, military, private, and non-profit organizations.

Power:
Weather conditions caused by Tropical Storm Maria have deteriorated and present multiple hazards to the GPA field crews. At this time, crews have been instructed to seek shelter. Field work will resume as soon as possible. Please report power-related issues to GPA via its Facebook page or call its 24-hour Trouble Dispatch desk at 475-1472, 475-1473, or 475-1474.
Preparedness Actions Through the Evening:

Check in with the NWS website for updates through the evening in order to get the latest weather updates.
Charge cell phones in advance, so there is full battery if power is lost.
Avoid walking, swimming or driving through flood waters.
As winds and rains remain through the morning, residents and visitors are advised to remain in a safe location that is able to withstand damaging winds.
Mariners should make all necessary preparations to return to port, seek safe harbor and secure their craft.
Keep emergency preparedness kits nearby.
Secure outdoor pets in a safe location either indoors or inside the garage.
Stay up to date with the latest information. The storm track or intensity may change, additional advisories may be issued, or updates to changes in Conditions of Readiness may be issued.

GHS/OCD, working with the NWS, will continue to monitor the system and provide updates. Monitor the latest advisory information through the following sites:

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/
Governor Eddie Baza Calvo Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/eddiebazacalvo/

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 or contact the GHS/OCD watch desk at (671) 478-0290.

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.