Seas Remain Dangerous; Avoid the Water this Holiday

The National Weather Service (NWS), Guam Weather Forecast Office advise trade-wind waves and swell will continue to produce hazardous sea conditions.

Many residents are off today and tomorrow due to the Christmas holiday and may have plans to be near the beach. To avoid serious injury, the Offices of Guam Homeland Security and Civil Defense (GHS/OCD) caution residents and visitors to remain out of the water or at the very least, to avoid east and north facing reefs and beaches until hazardous conditions subside. Rip currents will be life threatening. The following NWS advisories are in effect:

A beach hazards statement remains in effect for Guam, Rota, Tinian, and Saipan through Tuesday afternoon. Persistent trade-wind swell has pushed large numbers of Portuguese man-of-war jelly fish toward the eastern and northern shores of the Marianas. The jellyfish have been seen on both the beaches and in the water.

Residents and visitors are advised to stay away from the waters and avoid touching jelly fish washed up on beaches as this can cause extreme pain.

A high risk of rip currents remains in effect for Guam, Rota, Tinian, and Saipan along east facing reefs through at least Thursday morning. If caught in a rip current, yell for help. Remain calm and stay afloat while waiting for help. If swimming out of a rip current, swim parallel to shore and back toward the beach when possible. Do not attempt to swim directly against a rip current. Rip currents will be life threatening.

A small craft advisory remains in effect for Guam, Rota, Tinian, and Saipan coastal waters until 6 a.m. Thursday. East winds of 15 to 20 knots and combined seas of 8 to 10 feet will create hazardous conditions for operators of small craft. Inexperienced mariners, especially those operating smaller vessels, should avoid sailing in these conditions.

Visit the following links for the latest 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

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.