THE skies were clear and most of the day was pretty bright and sunny yesterday; however, residents should still expect heavy rain today and throughout the weekend.
The monsoon weather pattern south of the Mariana Islands continues to be under close observation by Guam Homeland Security/Office of Civil Defense in coordination with the National Weather Service.
The government of Guam remains in Condition of Readiness 4 while Joint Region Marianas is in COR 3.
Residents can expect up to 5 to 7 inches of rainfall in the next three days and flooding in low-lying areas. The community is advised to secure any loose debris around their houses as the weather is expected to bring strong winds. A high surf advisory is in effect for Guam until 5 p.m. tomorrow.
Meanwhile, Joint Region Marianas spokesman Lt. William Knight said the military was placed in COR 3 based on information they received from the Fleet Weather Center in San Diego, which provides Naval installations with updates on weather in their particular region.
“They advised us there was a high chance of a potentially damaging storm forming in the vicinity of Guam on Friday with little or no notice. On this advice, the decision to go to COR 3 was made in order to ensure that military aircraft, ships, bases and families were fully prepared in the advent of dangerous weather,” Knight said.
Going into COR 3 allowed military personnel to prepare and secure equipment they depend on to include cranes used for ships for departure and runways, Knight said.
“Due to the safety of operations, winds above 25 knots shut down the cranes that enable our ships to get underway and the runways at Andersen that our aircraft depend on,” he added.
The shift to COR 3 also gives JRM the best chance of being ready for a potentially dangerous storm without incurring more expenses.
“If we had waited and a storm forms rapidly, we could have been forced to go from COR 4 directly to COR 2 or 1, which would have limited our ability to prepare effectively. Setting COR 3 early gives both bases the option of relaxing or increasing the state quickly at minimum effect to normal operations,” Knight said.
