Super Typhoon Bavi makes landfall Rota as Guam, Northern Mariana Islands brace

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow/AP) – Super Typhoon Bavi made landfall on the island of Rota about five hours ago, bringing extremely dangerous Category 5, hurricane-force winds and torrential rain to Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands.

Read more Hawaii Tattoo Expo returns to Honolulu

The Associated Press reported the storm passed over Rota, and the National Weather Service recorded winds exceeding 150 mph.

Officials around the territory are reporting flash floods, flipped cars, and extensive damage over the past couple of hours.

Hawaii News Now previously reported that shelters on Saipan and Tinian opened Thursday, earlier than usual, to give families more time to evacuate. Shelters on Rota were scheduled to open Friday, Chamorro Standard Time.

The storm comes as the territories are still recovering from Super Typhoon Sinlaku in April.

Read more First Alert Forecast: Breezy trade winds, with a few more showers near week’s end

“The typhoons this year is bringing us almost to a crippled state in the region,” said Landon Aydlett, NWS warning coordination meteorologist. “And so it’s response efforts from NGOs, people across the United States bringing donations, helping us, supporting us, the federal partners from FEMA and other agencies really coming into the region to help pick up the pieces because it’s a long-[term] recovery.”

Aydlett said upwards of 1,300 families are still living in tents because the first super typhoon hit the Northern Mariana Islands, and is “the last thing” they needed.

“Right after another super typhoon came that parked itself, it was moving three or four mph over those northern two islands, causing significant damage over a three-day period. People still have no power up there,” he added.

This El Niño season is expected to continue with a lot more tropical cyclone activity in the Pacific.

Read more HPD, EMS give update on fireworks-related calls during 4th of July