Super Typhoon Bavi has already caused “extensive damage” to the island of Rota, in the U.S. Mariana Islands in the Pacific Ocean, local authorities announced today, citing extremely “strong winds” and “flooding.”
“We are currently experiencing strong winds and flooding here,” said Lou Rosario, a spokesperson for the municipality’s operations center. “Some are already reporting extensive damage,” the spokesperson added.
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The National Weather Service (NWS) had warned of the threat of “catastrophic damage” and described the situation as “life-threatening.”
The so-called eye of this storm “is passing over the island of Rota,” the NWS reported earlier, noting winds of up to 290 kilometers per hour.
Rota, the southernmost island of the Northern Mariana Islands, has a population of about 1,500.
Rota is being battered by extreme winds from Typhoon #Bavi’s eyewall. This will be a storm to remember in that part of #CNMI.
: Masum Dhali (Facebook; link
below)#tropicswx #MPwx pic.twitter.com/1P3OdS87Ly
Advertisement— Vortix (@VortixWx) July 6, 2026
The super typhoon, equivalent to a Category 5 hurricane, is accompanied by winds that could reach up to 350 kilometers per hour, according to a specialized warning center.
Super Typhoon #Bavi has reached an incredible 285 km/h (180 mph), with pressure down to 901 hPa.
AdvertisementThe typhoon is forecast to directly strike the island of Rota, Northern Mariana Islands, in the next few hours. pic.twitter.com/hU7vTTKd44
— Zoom Earth (@zoom_earth) July 5, 2026
Much of the island will be uninhabitable “for weeks, if not longer,” the NWS warned. Homes not built of concrete and not reinforced will be “destroyed,” many “completely,” it added.
It also forecast waves as high as 10.7 meters and “extremely dangerous” conditions at sea.
“If we work together and take the necessary precautions, we can protect our families and our community. We are praying for the safety of our citizens,” said Aubrey Hokog, the mayor of Rota.
The island is located near Guam, also a U.S. territory, with a population of 170,000.
The Northern Mariana Islands (40,000 residents) had already been severely tested in April by Super Typhoon Sinlaku, which cut off power to tens of thousands of people, uprooted trees, overturned vehicles, and tore off building roofs.
Yesterday, traffic was minimal in Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands. Police were patrolling and advising residents to remain vigilant. Civil defense teams and the Federal Emergency Management Agency were on high alert in Guam, where 1.1 million liters of drinking water, 1.2 million ready-to-eat meals, 6,700 cots, and 90 generators were sent to a distribution center.
In addition, five shelters with a capacity of 1,900 beds were opened.
The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) warned last week that the El Niño climate phenomenon, which typically occurs every two to seven years and lasts nine to twelve months, is already active in the tropical Pacific Ocean.
This phenomenon raises sea surface temperatures in the central and eastern Pacific near the equator, altering wind patterns, pressure systems, and rainfall, and changing the climate on a global scale, causing extreme and destructive weather events.
