CNMI Officials Urge Residents to Shelter as Super Typhoon Bavi Approaches

Officials in the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI) are urging residents to take shelter as Super Typhoon Bavi, a powerful Category 5 storm, approaches the region. The National Weather Service in Guam forecasts the storm to maintain its intensity through Tuesday as it passes through the Marianas.

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Our team has been working diligently these past couple of days to prepare our island and our people from Super Typhoon Bavi. We are prepared as best we can.

Rota Mayor Aubry Hocog stated that the island has prepared "as best they can." Authorities have been canvassing remote communities, opened two emergency shelters, and are advising residents to remain indoors until an all-clear is given. A typhoon warning is in effect for Rota, Tinian, Saipan, and Guam, with widespread destructive winds of over 240 km/h anticipated.

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Please take this warning seriously and complete all necessary preparations.

Hocog's office has been actively disseminating critical storm information and safety advisories through house-to-house visits and social media. Residents needing transportation to shelters were directed to contact the Rota Mayor's Office or the Office of Aging. The mayor emphasized the seriousness of the warning and urged immediate completion of all necessary preparations.

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We ask our people to kindly cooperate and be prepared. By working together and taking the necessary precautions, we can help protect our families, neighbors and community. We pray for the safety of our people.

Federal disaster agencies have positioned personnel and emergency supplies across the CNMI in anticipation of the storm's impact. FEMA has activated its Regional Response Coordination Center in Oakland, California, and approximately 240 federal personnel are already on Saipan. This response comes as the CNMI is still recovering from Super Typhoon Sinlaku, which hit the islands less than three months ago.

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We've stood up a Regional Response Coordination Center in Oakland, California. We also have about 240 federal employees-not just all FEMA, across multiple agencies are already on Saipan.