HAGÅTÑA (The Guam Daily Post) — Only about 1,000 of about 52,000 Guam Power Authority customers still had power by Wednesday afternoon, according to a release from the utility.
Due to severe conditions brought on by Typhoon Mawar, almost all the circuits in the islandwide power system had been impacted and were without power, GPA stated in a release on its Facebook page. The release was issued a little before 6 p.m., but the information was timed as of 3:35 p.m.
GPA stated that only the Dededo CT plant was left online by that time, and it was specifically serving Andersen Air Force Base, the Camp Blaz Marine Corps Base and a small portion of Dededo.
About 71% of GPA customers still had power until 1 p.m. After that, circuits, including transmission lines, began tripping in a cascading effect.
At the time the GPA release was issued, power to the Guam Memorial Hospital had also gone down due to an issue with the Harmon Substation that could not be safely addressed. GPA stated that GMH was currently operating under standby power generator, and as soon as repairs could begin, they would get power back to the public hospital.
GPA has stated that it is prepared to begin power restoration efforts as soon as winds die down to safe levels. That will begin the recovery phase of the islandwide power system, the utility stated.
Critical restoration priorities include hospitals, critical water well and wastewater facilities, critical infrastructure facilities, schools/designated shelters, public safety/health facilities, and ports of entry.
Waves crash on Hagåtña Bay in the wake of Typhoon Mawar on Wednesday.
