Super Typhoon Bavi made landfall on the US island of Rota on July 6, 2026, bringing maximum sustained winds of about 180 mph (290 km/h), equivalent to a Category 5 hurricane [1, 2, 3]. The powerful storm caused catastrophic damage on the island, leaving much of it uninhabitable after widespread destruction including roof failures, uprooted trees, and downed power poles [1, 2, 3, 4].

Rota, the southernmost island of the Northern Mariana Islands, has a population of around 1,500 people [1, 2, 3, 4]. Local officials declared a state of emergency and urged residents to take shelter. Rota Mayor Aubry Hocog said, "By working together and taking the necessary precautions, we can help protect our families, neighbors and community. We pray for the safety of our people." [1]

The typhoon also brought strong winds and heavy rainfall—expected to total at least 20 inches (51 cm)—to Guam and other islands in the Northern Mariana chain, disrupting daily life and forcing store closures and reduced traffic [1, 2, 3, 5, 4]. Guam Governor Lou Leon Guerrero advised residents to "Stay home or at a shelter" as officials prepared for the storm’s impact [3].

The Northern Mariana Islands and Guam together have a combined population of about 210,000 people who faced potential extended power outages. Outages from the storm on Rota and neighboring islands are expected to last weeks or possibly months as recovery efforts begin [1, 2].

Super Typhoon Bavi was moving westward at about 9 mph (14 km/h) toward the Philippines after hitting Rota [3]. It follows previous recent super typhoons like Sinlaku in April 2026 and Mawar in 2023, which also caused widespread destruction and power outages in the region [1, 2, 3, 6, 5].

On July 4, Bavi was located several hundred kilometers east of the Northern Marianas with sustained winds near 259 km/h and gusts up to 314 km/h, prompting emergency preparations [6]. Residents boarded up windows, stocked supplies, and moved to evacuation centers on July 5 as the typhoon approached, with heavy rain and strong winds already lashing the islands [5, 4].

The coming days will focus on restoring power and assessing the full extent of structural damage across Rota and surrounding islands as emergency crews mobilize.