HAGÅTÑA (The Guam Daily Post) — Road cleaning, tree trimming and other preparations characterized a large part of the day Monday for village mayors and certain government agencies, as well as many residents, as the island prepared for the arrival of Typhoon Mawar.
In the south of the island, where major flooding has occurred with significant rain, Inalåhan Mayor Anthony Chargualaf said a lot of heavy clearing and other work to mitigate flooding had been done well beforehand.
“We’ve done a lot of clearing in anticipation of any storm event. We want to be able to see our vulnerability after what we’ve done in terms of preparation,” Chargualaf said. “But we believe we’d done a lot of proactive approaches … well before today.”
Chargualaf said he identified areas of need for flood mitigation when he came into office in 2021. According to the mayor, an excavator was used to clear debris or reshape the direction of water flow. While Mawar will test those efforts, Chargualaf added that they were optimistic because of their proactive work.
With that done, Chargualaf said the bulk of the work for his office Monday was to retrieve supplies, such as chairs, cables and canopies, that were used for the San Isidro fiesta in Malojloj on Sunday, as well as to secure some assets.
When The Guam Daily Post spoke to Humåtak Mayor Johnny Quinata Monday morning, he said his office was in the middle of cleaning roads and ensuring things were generally safe.
A major issue for the village has been the Humåtak River and the Humåtak Bridge, and Quinata said his concern is for residents who live in the area. There are two houses next to the river, he added.
“I’ve been talking a lot to (Department of Public Works) about this problem. … They haven’t dug under the bridge and I’ve been telling them they should dig the bridge … because when the water has no space under the bridge, it climbs on the side. I’ve been, you know, (telling) not only the administration now, I’m talking about the past administration,” Quinata said.
Guam did recently receive federal funding to address flood mitigation, including maintenance for the river.
In the north side of Guam, Dededo Mayor Melissa Savares said her office is ensuring that trash is getting picked up and drains are cleared, and addressing trees that may end up blocking roadways in case they break or topple.
“GPA has been good at clearing primary lines. I’m not sure if they’re doing any other areas but they’ve been out in the streets,” she said.
DPW has been clearing culverts along the main highways, the mayor added.
Tamuning-Tumon-Harmon Mayor Louise Rivera said she was concerned about large trees on private properties for which they could not get ahold of the property owners. The trees could become hazards by blocking roadways, she added.
Another major concern for Rivera, at least on Monday morning, was shelters for the storm. The mayor said she did not know at that time if any schools in the Tamuning area would be opened to serve as shelters.
“In the past when we were having to transport families all the way to Barrigada, … or, you know, we were having to go farther and it was really dangerous for us on the bus, because we were going through Tiyan, which is an open area, so really windy,” Rivera said.
“That’s why I ask people not to wait till the last minute. As soon as the shelter opens, while we’re still able to transport them, we do it right away before the real heavy winds come,” she added.
By late Monday morning, the Joint Information Center announced the list of shelters that would be open at 8 a.m. Tuesday. No schools in Tamuning were listed.
Residents are asked not to go to any shelters before 8 a.m. Residents who need transportation to a shelter are advised to contact their village’s mayor’s office.
Shelter locations
JIC confirmed the following nine locations will be used as typhoon shelters, most of which are in the northern part of Guam:
• Astumbo Elementary School.
• Maria A. Ulloa Elementary School.
• Machananao Elementary School.
• Upi Elementary School.
• Wettengel Elementary School.
• B.P. Carbullido Elementary School.
• George Washington High School.
• Talo’fo’fo’ Elementary School.
• Merizo Martyrs Memorial School.
Maria A. Ulloa Elementary School on Jan. 25, 2023, in Dededo. The school is one of nine shelters opening Tuesday, May 23, 2023, for residents ahead of Typhoon Mawar’s approach toward the Marianas
