HAGÅTÑA (The Guam Daily Post) — With memories of Typhoon Mawar still fresh in their minds, residents on Guam spent the last couple of days shopping for supplies, lining up for gas and doing a myriad other things, all in preparation for the arrival of Tropical Storm Bolaven.
Frances Quitugua and her son Jose exited Home Depot Monday morning with a cart full of empty water gallons and paper towels. Quitugua said she bought “a lot of” canned goods the day before, enough to feed her family for a week or two, but added that she had been stocking up on emergency provisions in the days after Mawar as well.
Quitugua said she doesn’t expect Bolaven to be as bad as Mawar, but is preparing as if it will be.
“Just in case, like the last storm,” Quitugua said.
Erik Klatt, a military service member, said he was on the island when Mawar arrived in late May.
“At least I know how to prepare better this time,” Klatt said, hauling a small generator and what appeared to be various cleaning supplies outside the Home Depot.
“I’m hoping maybe we just lose power for a couple of days and the kids stay healthy,” he added.
Memories of Mawar
Mawar, a Category 4 typhoon, wrought significant devastation on Guam, uprooting trees, downing power lines and leaving residents without power and water service. Some people had to wait weeks for their services to be restored.
Gasoline was also difficult to obtain in the immediate aftermath of the typhoon, with motorists spending hours in line to gas up their vehicles or tanks.
While Mawar was one of the most destructive storms that Guam has seen in recent years, Bolaven isn’t projected to have anywhere near the same impact. But the Joint Information Center is warning not to underestimate the approaching storm.
Tropical storm force winds of 39 miles per hour or more are expected for Guam as early as Tuesday midday, and lasting through Wednesday, according to a release from the JIC Monday morning. The closest point of approach to Guam was projected to happen at 8 p.m. Tuesday, but that could change, the release added.
‘More than sufficient fuel’
Gas stations were abuzz with activity on Sunday, which is when Guam was placed under Condition of Readiness 3, and then COR 2 later that night, due to Bolaven approaching the Marianas.
Some stations still appeared busy Monday morning, but The Guam Daily Post did observe that two 76 Circle K gas stations, one in Barrigada and one in Anigua, had partially run out of fuel that morning. In addition, several Mobil gas stations did not open Monday in response to the COR 2 announcement the night before.
“There is more than sufficient fuel on the island to meet the needs of our customers and the community. We urge customers to buy only what they need,” a release from Mobil stated.
Police vehicles could also be seen occasionally escorting gas tankers to refuel gas stations on Monday.
Attorney General Douglas Moylan had published releases reminding the public that merchants and landlords cannot increase the price of goods in advance of a possible disaster, and that upon declaration of COR 2, all wholesale and retail prices shall be frozen and should remain frozen until 72 hours after Guam is back under COR 4.
“As this community prepares, we trust that our business community and all merchants will not take advantage of people in our time of need. The AG’s office is prepared to receive complaints,” a release from the Office of the Attorney General stated.
Power during storm
The Guam Power Authority announced Sunday that it had begun its pre-storm preparation on the island power system. Protective measures at power plants and substations will be taken to minimize the threat of storm/typhoon damage, a release from the utility stated.
“During the storm, the Guam Power Authority will continue to run the islandwide power system and keep the power on for as long as possible. Power plants will be operational as long as it is capable and safe to do so. The transmission and distribution personnel will be in the field to address power problems, up to the point when supervisors out in the field state it is no longer safe to do so and field crews will be secured. Again, as the storm approaches and winds pick up, we will eventually have to secure all personnel for safety reasons. Thereafter, as circuits trip, we may need to secure and bring units offline until it is safe to resume operations,” the release added.
Mawar had damaged a major combustion turbine, Yigo CT, placing the unit out of commission at a time when Guam needs as much capacity as it can get to mitigate load shedding and rotating outages, while waiting for the new power plant in Dededo to be completed.
Another issue after Mawar was the lack of power to water wells, either because island power or generator power was unavailable. The Post had asked GPA what it is doing to ensure the operation of generators at water well sites.
The utility stated that it is trimming trees along circuits, most especially ones connected to water wells. GPA is also topping off fuel levels for generators, and is working with the Federal Emergency Management Agency for assistance in providing generators, according to the utility. Water wells are also considered a priority when it comes to restoring power services, GPA told the Post.
The Port Authority of Guam was also preparing for Bolaven’s arrival, with employees having tied down gantry cranes and wrapping their engines, generators and electrical components to protect them from water damage.
“The Port’s engineering division has been working with contractors to secure their respective areas of responsibility, including all loose debris and materials. The commercial division is working with all marina tenants as well in preparation for the storm. Port management also has been working closely with industry partners during this storm preparation phase, including with fuel companies, to ensure they have uninterrupted access to the fuel tanks,” a release from the Port stated.
From left: Jose Quitugua helps his mother, Frances Quitugua, load empty water bottles and other supplies into their vehicle Monday, Oct. 9, 2023, at the Home Depot.
