Super Typhoon Champi narrowly misses Guam; Trump approves emergency declaration
Champi passed about 10 miles south of the U.S. territory of Guam with 150 mph winds. Trump approved an emergency declaration as about half the island temporarily lost power.
Archive image · Photo: The National Guard / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0 (cropped and resized)
Super Typhoon Champi narrowly passed the U.S. Pacific territory of Guam early Sunday local time. The eye passed about 10 miles south of the village of Merizo at about 4:26 a.m., according to Guam's civil defense office. The National Weather Service said Champi was upgraded to a super typhoon around its closest approach, with sustained winds of 150 mph, at the high end of Category 4. President Donald Trump approved Gov. Lou Leon Guerrero's request for an emergency declaration, authorizing FEMA to coordinate relief.
Southern Guam took the brunt of the winds and rain. The Guam Power Authority said only about half of the island had electricity at one point Sunday morning, while the hospital, Naval Base Guam and Andersen Air Force Base stayed online. Preliminary reports showed no widespread significant damage, but the far south has yet to be assessed, the weather service said. "It's really hard to underscore how close this was to being a significant and devastating event for portions of Guam," NWS meteorologist Brandon Aydlett told The Guam Daily Post.
The island remains at its highest readiness level, and residents were told to stay in sturdy buildings until an all clear is issued. Champi is the third strong typhoon to affect the region since April, and many families are still living in tents after Super Typhoons Sinlaku and Bavi. The storm is moving across the Philippine Sea and could reach Category 5 on Monday, forecasters said.