Updated July 6, 2026 at 6:00 AM EDT
Super Typhoon Bavi has brought destruction to the remote U.S. territories of Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands.
The typhoon made landfall on Monday morning local time, with the eye of the storm passing directly over the island of Rota. Rota is located some 40 miles northeast of Guam.
On Monday afternoon local time, the storm was pulling away from the Marianas, though intense winds continued. "Storm intensity was 175 mph," the NWS said.
Over the weekend, the National Weather Service (NWS) issued typhoon warnings for the islands of Guam, Rota, Tinian and Saipan, the capital of the Northern Mariana Islands.
"This is an extremely dangerous and life-threatening situation," forecasters said in an earlier update.
The typhoon caused damage across the islands. Isla Public Media reported that the mayor's office on the island of Rota sustained major damage. There were severe power outages on the islands of Guam and Saipan, as roads were flooded and storm debris lay in the streets.
As the storm winds continued, Guam Gov. Lou Leon Guerrero said that she would make a full assessment of the damage on Tuesday morning local time. "First thing tomorrow morning, early, early tomorrow morning, I am going to go out and make an assessment," she said.
Local NWS meteorologist Landon Aydlett spoke to NPR from central Guam just after 1:30 a.m. on Monday local time. He said weather conditions were steadily deteriorating across all four populated islands, including torrential rain and strengthening winds.
"This is a powerhouse super typhoon and this is going to be a very grim outlook for any island that takes a direct hit," said Aydlett, who had been awake for nearly 24 hours tracking the super typhoon.
The super typhoon was moving west-northwest with maximum sustained winds of 180 miles per hour at 7 a.m. on Monday, according to Guam's Joint Information Center. Bavi's wind speeds make it a major Category 5 storm.
The Joint Typhoon Warning Center designates tropical cyclones with sustained winds of 150 miles per hour or greater within the western north Pacific as super typhoons.
Gov. Leon Guerrero transitioned the island of Guam into a heightened status of emergency readiness on Sunday.
"We want you to all be making sure that you are prepared," Leon Guerrero said during a press briefing. "Be safe in your homes and please do not travel the roads, stay out of the waters and be safe."
Local governments have opened emergency shelters, which were nearing capacity, as residents in low-lying areas and those living in wood and tin homes have especially sought refuge.
Aydlett says there is particular concern for people who are still recovering from Typhoon Sinlaku, which hit the region in April.
"We have a lot of vulnerable communities across northern Guam, people that live in more substandard building materials," he said. "From what I've heard from Saipan and Tinian, where many people still have no power two-and-a-half months after Sinlaku ravaged those islands, the shelters are packed and they had to turn people away."
The Port Authority of Guam suspended its operations, while dozens of schools and hospitals were likely to be affected, according to the NWS.
Aydlett says officials have been warning residents about the super typhoon for several days.
"People need to hunker down wherever they are because it's just too dangerous to go out at this point," he said. "We aim for zero fatalities and my gosh, I hope that's how it turns out. It's going to be a rough night and a rough day."
Andersen Air Force Base on Guam is asking that only essential personnel access the base.
Isla Public Media's Dana Williams and Bryan Manabat contributed to this report.
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