Guam is still recovering from Typhoon Mawar but residents are taking it in stride

Two weeks after devastating Typhoon Mawar, the worst storm to sweep across the island in more than two decades, devastated the U.S. territory, thousands of Guam residents still don’t have access to water or electricity. Also the storm, which had sustained gusts of 140 mph, tore leaves off trees, destroyed beaches, damaged houses, and cut off electricity and water access to the majority of Guam’s 170,500 population during the hours of the night of May 24.

The government estimates that the island’s commercial sector sustained damage worth $112 million. Fortunately, no one perished during Typhoon Mawar, and rehabilitation is still going strong more than two weeks later. Guam Power Authority announced on Thursday that 66% of the island’s 212 square mile system load has been restored. The bulk of its wells, according to the Guam Waterworks Authority, have been repaired. The northern region of the island, which was most struck when Typhoon Mawar abruptly pivoted north, is where the majority of its outages are concentrated.

According to Krystal Paco-Saint Augustine, spokeswoman for Guam Governor Lou Leon Gurerrero, said restoring electricity is necessary before the water can start flowing. “Many of them are wired into the power; they require power restoration. They are all interrelated. According to Paco-St. Angustine, the government anticipates Guam to recover up to 95% in a month, which is almost equivalent to the time it took for the island to fully recover from Typhoon Pongsona. She points out that other modifications have been made since then, such as the need that concrete now be used to construct things like buildings and telephone poles. Furthermore, 10,000 Guamanians, according to the local administration, have requested help from FEMA, which is opening recovery centers all around the island. The Small Business Administration assists business owners in obtaining loans for lost profits and damaged property. Teams from the Department of Health and Human Services are present in hospitals to ease the strain on the emergency departments.

Reference – Westerman, A. (2023, June 8). Guam is still recovering from Typhoon Mawar, but residents are taking it in stride. NPR. https://www.npr.org/2023/06/08/1181011333/guam-is-still-recovering-from-typhoon-mawar-but-residents-are-taking-it-in-strid 

Image source – https://www.npr.org/2023/06/08/1181011333/guam-is-still-recovering-from-typhoon-mawar-but-residents-are-taking-it-in-strid