Super Typhoon Bavi strikes Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands, less than 3 months after Sinlaku

Super Typhoon Bavi made landfall over the Northern Mariana Islands and Guam on July 6, 2026, delivering a direct strike to the small island of Rota with sustained winds around 180 miles per hour—the strongest storm to ever hit the island—and leaving tens of thousands without power, water, or fuel across the region. No fatalities or injuries were reported anywhere in the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands after the Category 5 storm’s passage.

The timing is significant. Super Typhoon Sinlaku struck the same region in April 2026. Many volunteers had been assisting in shelters since April, in the aftermath of Super Typhoon Sinlaku. Some Guam residents were still living in tents and buildings with makeshift roofs when Bavi struck, as the months between the two storms were not enough time to fully recover.

The Northern Mariana Islands and Guam are unincorporated United States territories in the western Pacific, home to a combined population of roughly 210,000 people. The region sits in one of the most active typhoon corridors in the world and faces storm recovery with limited local infrastructure, no voting representation in Congress, and federal aid processes that can lag behind the pace of successive disasters.

Rota hardest hit

Rota, home to approximately 1,500 people, bore the brunt of Bavi’s direct path, as the Marianas Press reported. Mayor Aubry Hocog said over 50% of the island sustained damage and that it could take two to three months to fully restore power. Water remained a critical concern, with the Commonwealth Utilities Corporation rationing supplies to 25 gallons per household to ensure enough for all residents. Hocog said her highest priorities were water access, road clearing, and the overall well-being of residents.

A Rota resident told the Agence France-Presse via Facebook that many homes suffered severe damage, with countless roofs completely torn off, and that across the island there was no electricity, no running water, and no mobile network service in the immediate aftermath.

Saipan and Tinian

All 17,650 electrical customers across the three main Northern Mariana Islands lost power: 15,624 on Saipan, 1,059 on Tinian, and 967 on Rota. According to the CNMI Joint Information Center, Saipan’s feeder primary mainlines had been fully restored from Sinlaku in the days before Bavi struck.

The CNMI Joint Information Center reported 496 people in shelters across the three islands in the immediate aftermath, with 386 on Saipan, 57 on Rota, and 53 on Tinian.

Saipan and Tinian also faced a fuel crisis, with residents struggling to access gasoline as ports remained closed to commercial traffic. The United States Coast Guard worked to reopen waterways, and the Port of Saipan was the first to reopen, though all others remained closed. The Coast Guard urged the public to report emergencies on VHF Channel 16 and to stay away from coastlines with waves of up to 20 feet.

Most traffic lights across Saipan remained out of service days after the storm. CNMI Department of Public Works Secretary Ray Yumul said crews had shut the signals down preventively before Bavi arrived. Many fixtures survived but were knocked out of alignment. Yumul urged motorists to treat every dark signal as a four-way stop.

Guam

On Guam, nearly 100 FEMA officials deployed to address downed power lines, flooding, and toppled structures. Communication with the island remained limited in the days after the storm, with FEMA External Affairs Officer Brad Pierce urging family members stateside to be patient as power restoration progressed.

Relief efforts

The American Red Cross mobilized more than 200 volunteers for the recovery, with an advance team deploying to the region before Bavi made landfall and additional personnel arriving as transportation links reopened. Red Cross public affairs manager Peter Teahen said Rota was a priority, with assessments determining individual family needs before distributing emergency supplies, including food, diapers, and tarps. Teahen also encouraged survivors not to overlook the emotional toll of successive disasters, urging residents to lean on family, community, and Red Cross workers.

On the community level, Micronesia Climate Change Alliance and Inafa’Maolek Mutual Aid organized grassroots relief efforts in the aftermath of the storm, while Casa Marianas opened a collection point on Saipan to gather and coordinate relief supplies for dispatch to Rota.

Climate context

Bavi struck during what meteorologists have described as a strong El Niño year. El Niño is a recurring natural climate phenomenon that warms Pacific surface temperatures and typically occurs every two to seven years, and its effects include more tropical storms and typhoons in the western Pacific. Oceans experienced their hottest June on record ahead of the storm. Charles “Chip” Guard, a meteorologist who spent years with the National Weather Service in Guam, noted that 1997, the last strong El Niño year comparable to 2026, produced 11 super typhoons in the Pacific. The 2026 Pacific season had already produced two before July.

After exiting the Marianas, Bavi continued on a northwest trajectory toward Japan, Taiwan, and eastern China.