Government agencies and business offices issued public advisories in preparation for Tropical Storm Champi, which is anticipated to pass over Guam on Sunday.
GPA’s restoration process after a storm
The Guam Power Authority advises the public that, immediately after the passage of Tropical Storm Champi and once high winds subside to a safe level, GPA will mobilize our teams to conduct assessments and repairs.
This will begin the recovery phase of the island-wide power system around Guam.
Critical restoration priorities include hospitals, critical healthcare centers, critical communications infrastructures, Guam Homeland Security & Office of
Civil Defense, Guam Fire Department 911, water wells and wastewater facilities, critical infrastructure facilities such as public safety/health and ports of entry.
Restoring these facilities supports essential services and allows broader recovery efforts to begin. As critical infrastructure is brought back online, crews will continue to restore main circuits and neighborhoods and across affected areas.
As power restoration progresses and communications systems are restored, GPA’s smart grid and SCADA systems will provide detailed information on outage locations.
These systems allow GPA to confirm where power has been restored, identify customers still without service, and locate smaller pockets of outages within villages.
Expectant mother intake plans announced
Guam Memorial Hospital will begin accepting eligible expectant mothers on Saturday morning, Oct. 17. GMH will announce the exact intake time once arrangements are finalized.
GMH said expectant mothers should not report until the hospital officially announces that intake has begun.
Anyone experiencing a medical emergency should seek immediate medical care and should not wait for intake to begin.
Once GMH announces that intake has begun, eligible expectant mothers should report to the Patient Registration Office on the first floor.
GMH will accept: pregnant mothers who are 36 weeks gestation or greater; and high-risk pregnant mothers who are 24 weeks gestation or greater.
Expectant mothers unsure whether they meet high-risk criteria should consult their healthcare provider.
GRMC to suspend visitation
Guam Regional Medical City will temporarily suspend visitation of all patient care units beginning Oct. 17 at 11 a.m. Outpatient clinics will be closed on Oct. 19.
GRMC will continue to maintain essential hospital services, including 24/7 Emergency Room operations and inpatient care.
Upon suspension of visitation, only approved patient watchers and overnighters will be permitted to stay with the patients. GRMC advises that such individuals prepare accordingly and coordinate with hospital staff for any necessary guidance.
Outpatient services will tentatively resume on Oct. 20 or until COR 4 is declared. Patients whose appointments have been affected by Tropical Storm Champi will be contacted once outpatient clinic operations resume.
Port moves to Condition Yankee
The Port Authority of Guam has escalated its storm readiness posture following the U.S. Coast Guard Captain of the Port's declaration of Port Heavy Weather Condition Yankee at 4 p.m. Friday.
Under PHWC Yankee, the port is closed to inbound vessel traffic without authorization from the Captain of the Port; commercial vessels of 200 gross tons or more are required to depart the harbor unless granted written authorization to remain; and cargo operations must cease within the timeframe established by the Captain of the Port.
Port General Manager Rory J. Respicio activated the Port's Emergency Command Center, convening division heads to review the typhoon preparedness checklist, assess the status of protective measures and ensure all departments are carrying out their assigned responsibilities under the Port's Typhoon Annex.
Public health offices suspend operations
The Department of Public Health and Social Services suspended all offices and regular services, except for designated essential operations.
The Southern Region Community Health Center in Inalåhan will remain
operational throughout the storm, from COR 2 through COR 4, to provide urgent care for non-life-threatening medical conditions. Other essential services and emergency arrangements are outlined in the sections below.
Regular DPHSS services will resume after COR 4 is declared and facilities are cleared for safe operation. Reopening schedules will be announced as confirmed.
DPHSS urges Guam residents to prepare early for typhoons and the health risks that may continue long after a storm has passed.
Brown treesnake inspections for all cargo
The Guam Department of Agriculture urges residents transporting cargo, vehicles, or vessels to have them inspected before leaving Guam and again upon arrival in the CNMI.
Inspections are free and are critical to prevent the spread of brown treesnakes to other islands.
Before departing Guam, all aircraft, cargo, vehicles, and vessels that have been staged, stationed or stored on Guam should be inspected.
Cargo may include pallets of goods, loose boxes, containers filled with goods and bundles of construction materials such as rolls of metal sheeting, stacks of plywood or boards, PVC pipes, or any material with small, dark crevices where snakes may hide. Containers and their contents must be inspected prior to packing.
Once inspected, containers cannot be reopened unless they are reinspected.
These inspections are conducted by the U.S. Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services and are available 24/7 at no cost.
Before arrival in CNMI, cargo inspections should be scheduled with the CNMI Department of Fish and Wildlife.
Coast360 closes locations
Coast360 Federal Credit Union closed all member centers at 4 p.m. Friday. All locations will remain closed until COR 4 is officially declared and it is safe to resume operations.
Following the COR4 declaration, Coast360 said its team will conduct safety assessments of facilities before announcing when normal operations will resume.
While centers are closed, members may continue to manage their accounts 24/7 through Coast360 Online, Coast by Phone, and the Coast360 mobile app, subject to internet connectivity and service availability.
Members may also use other available ATMs, where safely accessible and continue making purchases with their Coast360 debit and credit cards at available merchant locations.
No masses
At COR 1, all masses will be suspended to ensure the safety of parishioners, according to the Archdiocese of Agana. "We are currently in Condition of Readiness 2 when damaging winds of 39 mph or more are possible within 24 hours," the announcement said.