Tropical Storm Chanthu intensifies

Gerald Deleon Guerrero

The low pressure area that turned into Tropical Storm Chanthu is forecast to intensify slowly over the next couple of days, but is expected to continue to move away today, Monday, from the Marianas, according to the U.S. National Weather Service Guam last night.

As of 7pm yesterday, packing maximum sustained winds at 40 miles per hour, Tropical Storm Chanthu was moving north-northeast at 18mph. Its center was 205 miles east-southeast of Iwo To or 575 miles north of Saipan or 680 miles north of Guam.

Chanthu is expected to continue to move away from the Marianas with a slight turn to the north-northwest by this afternoon, Monday.

The CNMI Homeland Security and Emergency Management on Friday afternoon called the “critical agencies” at the Emergency Operations Center in Capital Hill, where they went over the NWS’ weather forecast for the weekend.

Among those who attended the weather briefing were officials and representatives from the Commonwealth Utilities Corp., Department of Public Works, Department of Public Safety, Department of Fire and Emergency Medical Services, Commonwealth Ports Authority, Public School System, Governor’s Office, and others.

At the briefing, NWS warning coordination meteorologist Charles P. “Chip” Guard discussed the expected strong winds and rains brought about by the system.

HSEM special assistant Gerald Deleon Guerrero, in an interview, said they called the “critical agencies” just to be “ahead of the game” because according to Guard of NWS, CNMI is expecting about 22 to 30 miles of winds and a lot of rains.

“With that I called up Chip Guard to do this briefing this afternoon. I just want to be ahead of this game. Just a heads-up for everyone,” Deleon Guerrero said.

Deleon Guerrero said the forecast was that it’s not going to be as bad conditions the CNMI had the past weekend.

Press Secretary Ivan Blanco said the weather briefing, which was conducted by Guard, was initiated just to prepare the first responders team on the possibility that the CNMI may have strong winds up to 35 miles per hour.

“The initial projection it would be heavier than we experienced last week. Now it’s more moderate, maybe on the same level. But just to get folks ready for heavy rains and flooding in low lying areas as well as winds. We understand that there are still folks out there staying in tents,” Blanco said.

The press secretary said they are going to discuss further whether to open up a temporary shelter.

As of Friday, Blanco said they were not considering schools yet as temporary shelters because of the public schools’ opening today, Monday.

He said the public schools will be the last resort if the weather gets worse.

Blanco said they are keeping the Arts Council office on alert as temporary shelter.

NWS yesterday warned operators of small boats to avoid sailing because of southwest winds of 20 to 25 knots and combined seas of 10 to 13 feet that will produce hazardous conditions.

NWS also warned people in the CNMI about hazardous surf up to 9 to 11 feet will persist through Monday night, then fall up to 8 to 10 feet on Tuesday, along the west facing reefs.

NWS said surf will remain hazardous through Friday.

MWS asked the people to avoid venturing near exposed reefs and beaches especially those facing west, north or south as rip currents will be life threatening.