HAGATNA, Guam — A powerful Pacific typhoon was expected to hit the US territory of Guam late Friday night.
Senior meteorologist Mike Middlebrooks said Typhoon Dolphin will likely reach the northern part of the US territory around 8 p.m. Guam time.
“A heavy band is moving across the island and the eye will hit northern Guam,” he told The Associated Press.
He said that parts of the island were already experiencing the storm’s powerful winds.
Dolphin — with sustained winds estimated at 110 mph — was moving slowly across the Pacific at about 10 mph.
Middlebrooks cautioned that the system could deviate, so meteorologists are “watching it real close.”
Residents of this island of about 160,000 people are bracing for potentially damaging winds and flooding.
Five public schools are serving as emergency shelters for 748 residents. Twenty-four pregnant women have checked-in to Guam Memorial Hospital, according to Gov. Eddie Calvo’s office.
Residents began seriously preparing for the typhoon Thursday when Calvo ordered agencies to take special precautions.
That set off longer lines at service stations and increased sales of bottled water.
Dayann Henry, 28, and 15 family members sought refuge in an emergency shelter at George Washington High School in central Guam.
“When they said the typhoon is going to be big, we went to the mayor and asked for help. The mayor brought us here,” said Henry, who lives in a wood and tin-framed house.
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