WASHINGTON -- Following President Biden’s emergency declarations on Tuesday for both the Commonwealth of Northern Mariana Islands and Guam ahead of Typhoon Mawar, FEMA has more than 130 staff either already deployed to the Pacific or pre-staged to be able to quickly supplement territorial and local response efforts to help save lives, protect property, public health and safety. Also, over 100 generators as well as emergency communications equipment and specialized personnel have mobilized and ready.
Typhoon Mawar passed over the northern portions of Guam, however extremely strong winds remain in Guam, Rota and areas of the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands for the next several hours.
FEMA has deployed and pre-staged more than 130 personnel to support the response, with dozens more federal partners on the ground to support incident management, communications, debris removal, engineering, infrastructure, health and medical, environmental response, military support and more, if needed. FEMA deployed one Incident Management Team to Guam, and another is staged waiting to deploy.
FEMA’s Distribution Center in Guam is fully stocked with about four times the amount of food and water compared to the commodity stock in place during typhoon Mangkhut in 2018. The distribution center is also connected to a network of warehouses and logistics capabilities, with another large warehouse in Hawaii. Additional commodities and supplies stand ready, if needed and requested.
Guam’s Gov. Lou Leon Guerrero said rescue missions are underway on the island and assessments will continue as the storm passes. Residents should continue heed the warnings of local and territorial officials, especially as power outages are occurring.
Federal Actions and Safety Tips
- Territorial and local authorities are leading whole community efforts, with FEMA coordinating federal support to help the people, government and communities on Guam in case resources, personnel and teams can assist with lifesaving and life-sustaining activities.
- FEMA and other federal agencies are also staging staff, equipment and supplies in Hawaii for rapid deployment, if needed in the coming days.
- The FEMA National Response Coordination Center in Washington, D.C., and the FEMA Region 9 Regional Response Coordination in Oakland, California are activated today with other agencies and nonprofit organizations. This will help us coordinate federal, territorial and local agencies.
- If the immediate needs of survivors impacted by the storm supersede local and territorial resources, FEMA can also provide commodities like meals, water, blankets, cots, tents, tarps, baby supplies and more.
- U.S. Coast Guard Forces Micronesia Sector Guam informed that their crews are staffing all necessary watch sections and are actively working with on-island partners to be ready to conduct post-storm assessments.
- The Red Cross is working with local emergency management to meet the needs of the communities affected. More than a dozen Red Cross disaster workers are in Guam helping to support people in the path of this storm. Nearly 1,000 people stayed in more than 15 community and partner shelters across the islands as the storm passed. The Red Cross has relief items on the island and staged in strategic locations in preparation for this storm, including water, shelf-stable meals, clean-up kits, tarps and hygiene supplies.
- FEMA also recognizes that underserved and under-resourced communities, older adults and disabled populations face even greater risks and challenges when it comes to disasters. We are closely monitoring and coordinating with teams on the ground, the typhoon’s impact to electricity and power systems, communications and infrastructure for underserved communities, people with disabilities and older adults.
- Avoid downed power lines. Do not touch or drive over downed power lines. Always assume a downed power line is unsafe and contact the power company and emergency personnel.
- Be aware of areas where floodwaters have receded. Roads may have weakened and could collapse under the weight of a car.
- Use a generator safely. Residents using backup generators must remember to use them safely -- never use a power generator indoors, always store fuel outside and make sure to follow the manufacturer’s instructions on how to use the generator.
Additional preparedness information is available in Ready.gov or by downloading the FEMA App where you can receive weather warnings for up to five different locations nationwide.