Possibility: COR2 tonight, COR1 early tomorrow morning
JIC Release No. 1
Storm update, July 29, 2014
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y3LQqurDSTw&list=UU3hruNAobypwR04-I7KQRQw
As of now, storm is heading our way
The government of Guam, Joint Region Marianas (the military), and the National Weather Service are preparing for a storm that, as of now, is heading our way. It is expected to come closest to Guam at 10 p.m. tomorrow night. As of the latest forecast, it will bring up to 50 mph winds, rain, and flooding. Winds at that speed are destructive. Mother Nature is unpredictable, so this forecast can change as time goes by.
Guam, military in COR3: Don’t hustle yet; listen closely to the radio
Governor Eddie Calvo and Rear Admiral Tilghman Payne both are declaring Guam and its military installations in Condition of Readiness 3. For the civilian population, that means we should standby to start securing things, and listen all the time to the radio for updates from the Joint Information Center. COR3 has additional meaning for the military, as commanders have to begin securing assets.
Our level of readiness is up because of last storm, so COR3 preparations are mild
Preparation for this storm is different from the last time. First, we were tested and assured of our readiness when the last storm that threatened us passed by us. Many residents already have prepared an emergency storm kit that they placed in their homes. Parents talked to their children about what to do, and relatives and friends made plans to help each other through certain circumstances. Our level of readiness is up.
COR2 possible tonight; COR1 possible early morning
However, this time it is quite possible for our condition of readiness to be upgraded during the evening hours. In fact, the governor and the admiral may declare Condition of Readiness 2 sometime around 8 p.m. tonight. That decision will depend on the trajectory and strength of the storm, as the National Weather Service tracks it. If they declare COR2, it’s important that families and neighbors have plans ready now to put up shutters in the evening hours. You probably want to keep flashlights and batteries ready in case that happens, and in the event you need to pick up loose items from your yard. If the storm continues along that same path, the governor and the admiral could upgrade the readiness level to COR 1 by early morning hours.
Shelters open tomorrow morning IF COR2 declared tonight
The onset of heavy winds and rains, if the storm continues on this path, is not expected until mid-morning tomorrow. Therefore, if COR2 is declared tonight, it will be far safer to open emergency shelters in the morning, while there is daylight.
For GovGuam workers & public school students
Government of Guam workers and summer school students and their parents should listen to the radio in case there’s a COR upgrade. GovGuam non-essential operations and schools shut down at COR2.
IMPORTANT: Listen to the radio
All of our preparations depend on the movement of the storm over the next few hours. It is unnecessary to do much of anything in the way of preparation except to listen to the radio for updates. We recommend you have a battery-operated radio ready. If the power goes out, it will be the only way for you to receive storm updates.
JIC partially activated; get information from JIC via news partners
All information from any government of Guam agency, the military, and any federal or non-profit partner involved with this storm activation now is consolidated under the Joint Information Center, which the Governor has partially activated. The JIC has an established relationship with all Guam’s major radio and media stations (and all media stations listed in one of the attachments). These stations have agreed previously to report the information we send out, and we appreciate their partnership. You can also get information as we send it out, by liking and visiting the Governor’s Facebook page, Eddie Baza Calvo, and the Guam Homeland Security Facebook page.
Information from last storm attached
All the information we sent about storm preparation in the last storm we went through is attached for you to read up on. Again, we encourage you not to fret at this time, go about your business, but keep your ear on the radio.
Thank you and have a great night!
Please call Joint Information Coordinator Troy Torres at 478-0208 for more information.
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