Super Typhoon Bavi slams US island of Rota with 180 mph winds

Super Typhoon Bavi tore through the U.S. island of Rota in the Pacific on Monday, with winds reaching 180 mph. Authorities said they had received reports of major damage across the island, home to roughly 1,500 residents.

The National Weather Service said the storm's western eyewall was moving directly over Rota, the southernmost island in the Northern Marianas.

How strong is Super Typhoon Bavi?

Super Typhoon Bavi carries maximum sustained winds of 180 mph, equal to a category five hurricane. The National Weather Service recorded these winds as the storm's eye passed directly over Rota. Meteorologist Landon Aydlett said the entire island sat within the eye during landfall, putting it inside the storm's most destructive core.

The National Weather Service urged residents on X to treat the winds as they would an approaching tornado and move immediately to an interior room or shelter. Local authorities on Rota said they had already received reports of major damage from some residents. Lou Rosario, public information officer for the Rota Municipal Operations Center, said the island was experiencing heavy winds and flooding, with some people reporting major damage.

Rosario added that some cellphone service on the island had gone down after a tower fell. Aydlett said the island of Tinian, along with northern Guam and the southern tip of Saipan, experienced winds equal to a category one hurricane. He said Bavi was moving away from the area and that conditions would gradually improve.

What damage has Super Typhoon Bavi caused so far?

Authorities in Guam warned the island could see 8 to 12 inches of rain, raising the risk of flash flooding. The Northern Marianas and the nearby U.S. territory of Guam are home to about 210,000 people combined. Officials had earlier warned that a direct hit on Rota could leave much of the island uninhabitable for weeks or longer.

The National Weather Service said many non-concrete, non-reinforced homes would likely be destroyed, with total roof failure and wall collapse. It said nearly all trees would be snapped or uprooted and power poles downed, isolating residential areas. Power outages, it warned, could last for weeks or even months.

How does Bavi compare to past storms in the region?

When Typhoon Sinlaku struck the island group in April, about 9,500 kilometers west of the U.S. mainland, it caused widespread devastation. That storm ripped off roofs, toppled trees and left tens of thousands of people without power. In 2023, Typhoon Mawar, the biggest storm to hit the region in decades, also caused extensive damage.

Aydlett said Bavi was not expected to linger over the islands the way Sinlaku did in April. He called the storm's departure from the area good news for residents still recovering from earlier storms.

How are residents and tourists preparing for the storm?

Several hundred people took shelter at the Guam Plaza Hotel as windows shook and rain blew horizontally outside. About 70% of the guests were local residents who had moved in while the storm passed. After the April typhoon, the hotel purchased an $800,000 backup generator to keep power running during outages.

General manager Sudipta Basu, 59, said the locally owned hotel was focused on sheltering its regular customers. He said the generator was full and should run for two to three days. Across Guam and the Northern Marianas, roads were largely empty on Sunday afternoon and most stores had closed, many with windows boarded up.

Pinky Cubacub, 55, said she spent $500 on plywood at a lumber store to protect her eatery on Guam. She said losing several days of business would be difficult to absorb. Call center employee Arabella Paulino, 48, said her daughters were frightened but she believed her concrete home would hold up, with the worst-case scenario being a blown-in window.

Japanese tourist Miku Sakurai, 25, had her return flight to Tokyo canceled because of the storm. She said she and her friends would wait out Bavi at the hotel.

What role does El Nino play in Typhoon Bavi's intensity?

The world's oceans recorded their hottest June on record, according to the European Union's Copernicus Marine Service, with the possibility of new highs ahead. Warmer ocean water helps tropical storms intensify and draws in more moisture, which can fall as heavy rain. The World Meteorological Organization said El Nino, a natural climate pattern that recurs every two to seven years, has already begun in the tropical Pacific and is expected to be strong.

El Nino warms surface temperatures in the central and eastern equatorial Pacific Ocean. The phenomenon typically brings shifts in wind patterns, air pressure and rainfall across the region.