Publication Date May 25, 2023 | Climate Nexus Hot News

Typhoon Mawar Hits Guam, Island’s Strongest Storm In Over 20 Years

Guam
This infrared satellite image from the Joint Typhoon Warning Center shows Typhoon Mawar as it approached Guam on Wednesday, May 24, 2023. Typhoon Mawar aimed its fury at the tiny U.S. territory of Guam on Wednesday as residents with nowhere to go hunkered down to face devastating winds and torrential rains from what was expected to be the worst storm to hit the Pacific island in decades. (Credit: Joint Typhoon Warning Center via AP)
This infrared satellite image from the Joint Typhoon Warning Center shows Typhoon Mawar as it approached Guam on Wednesday, May 24, 2023. Typhoon Mawar aimed its fury at the tiny U.S. territory of Guam on Wednesday as residents with nowhere to go hunkered down to face devastating winds and torrential rains from what was expected to be the worst storm to hit the Pacific island in decades. (Credit: Joint Typhoon Warning Center via AP)

Residents were urged to stay home until the island is declared safe for travel, as the Category 4 typhoon brought hurricane-force winds of at least 150 miles per hour and heavy rain to the US territory. The eye of the storm passed just north of Guam and, as of Thursday morning, no storm-related deaths had been reported. The Biden administration preemptively declared a federal disaster emergency Tuesday, and although stronger building codes have helped reduce the extent of storm damage the island is still facing destruction. “As sunlight is starting to peek, we are waking up to a rather disturbing scene out there across Guam,” a meteorologist in Guam told the New York Times. “We are looking out our door and what used to be a jungle looks like toothpicks. It looks like a scene from the movie ‘Twister,’ with trees just thrashed apart.” The Pacific islands are increasingly threatened by rising seas, warming ocean temps, and other climate-related changes, including stronger tropical cyclones.

(APThe HillGristAxiosCNNWashington Post $)

(Climate Signals: Typhoons)

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