Super Typhoon Bavi struck the US Pacific territory of Rota on Monday morning, bringing catastrophic winds and flooding to the small island of roughly 1,500 residents. The storm’s western eyewall passed directly over the island, according to the US National Weather Service (NWS), subjecting it to sustained winds of 290 km/h and gusts that may have reached 350 km/h. Local authorities reported “major damage” and widespread flooding, but no casualties had been confirmed in the immediate aftermath.

The NWS had issued an extreme wind warning for Rota, describing the situation as “catastrophic” and warning that much of the island could be rendered uninhabitable for weeks. Lou Rosario, a spokesperson for the Rota municipal operations centre, said some residents were already reporting severe structural damage and that a fallen mobile phone tower had disrupted communications. The storm also lashed the nearby islands of Guam, Saipan, and Tinian with hurricane-force winds and torrential rain, though Rota bore the brunt of the impact.

The precise scale of destruction remains unclear as emergency assessments are hampered by ongoing weather and communication outages. Authorities in Guam, a larger US territory with 170,000 residents, opened evacuation shelters and pre-positioned emergency supplies, including water, meals, and generators. The region is still recovering from Super Typhoon Sinlaku, which struck in April, killing 17 people and causing power outages that persist in some areas.

By Monday afternoon, the NWS said Bavi was moving away from the Mariana Islands and conditions were gradually improving. The storm is forecast to track west-northwest towards the Philippine Sea and could approach Taiwan later this week, though its path remains uncertain. For now, the focus is on Rota, where the full extent of the damage is only beginning to emerge.