Right after Typhoon Mawar (Class 4) passed through Guam, the largest US military base in the Pacific, residents and local officials on the island of Guam came out one by one from their hiding places on the 25th (local time) and were torn and collapsed by strong winds. Trees, overturned and blown vehicles, and collapsed facilities began to be inspected.
More than 2 feet (66 cm) of heavy rain fell in the central and northern parts of the island of Guam, which passed through the eye of the typhoon. Across the island of Guam, more than 30 cm of heavy rain fell on average, said Brandon Idlet, a weather analyst with the National Weather Service.
Guam International Airport was also mostly submerged as waves hit the coral reefs along the coastline and swept the ground with the force of the typhoon.
The local meteorological office said, “It was really difficult to see the entire island of Guam when I woke up in the morning.” The jungle outside the window looked like a scene from the movie ‘Twister,’ like a fallen toothpick canister, and all the trees were split and down, said Brandon Idlet, another of the weather service’s twin brother notification officers.
Clearing up damage from the typhoon in Guam is expected to take at least a few weeks, he said.
Regarding Super Typhoon Mawar, which struck Guam with a population of 150,000 with the greatest power in 21 years since 2002, the Korea Meteorological Administration predicted in advance a ‘triple threat’ of wind, heavy rain and life-threatening tsunami waves.
Local authorities also urged residents to be alert for strong winds that could blow away concrete walls, rupture fuel storage tanks and overturn vehicles. The Meteorological Center said Mawar was a category 4 “super typhoon” with maximum sustained wind speeds exceeding 241 km/h.
‘Mawar’, which means ‘rose’ in Malaysian, the center of the typhoon hit the northern end of the island around 9 pm and exited. Amid storms, heavy rains and tidal waves, exact damage has yet to be reported.
Guam is located west of the International Date Line, with the island of Hawaii 6,000 km to the east and Manila, the capital of the Philippines, 2,500 km to the west.
Although the typhoon stayed on the island for only 30 to 35 minutes, the typhoon slowly passed through the island, sending solar panels flying into the sky and knocking down the hotel’s outer wall to the ground, causing sporadic damage.
The sound of strong winds that sounded like jet blasts filled the sky throughout the night, and most residential areas were flooded.
Lee Del Mundo, a resident of a concrete house in Chalan Pago, said that the howling wind and the force of the ground-shaking gale kept her awake all night. .
In Guam, where all buildings are being converted to concrete, “if they are not built with concrete, the people living in them cannot survive a typhoon like this,” El Mundo said.
Accurate statistics have yet to be released as to the total damage of the entire island, as there are many places where power is cut off or internet connection is not available.
Guam Administrator Lou Leon Guerrero and Deputy Administrator Josi Tenorio said, “The entire island had a night of terror from the typhoon.
So far, few reports of damage have been received by the police, but police cars and private cars have been destroyed by debris blown away by the storm, and uprooted trees are blocking the road.
The largest number of police calls were to complain about being unable to contact family or friends while worrying about the typhoon, Guam police said.
It is predicted that Mawar, which passed through this place, will cross the wide area of the Pacific Ocean and land in Taiwan around next week.
[하갓냐( 괌)= AP/뉴시스]
Source: Donga
Mark Jones is a world traveler and journalist for News Rebeat. With a curious mind and a love of adventure, Mark brings a unique perspective to the latest global events and provides in-depth and thought-provoking coverage of the world at large.