Guerrero ordered residents of coastal, low-lying and flood-prone areas of the territory of over 150,000 people to evacuate to higher elevations.
Federal assistance will be needed to save lives and property and "mitigate the effects of this imminent catastrophe," Guerrero said in a letter to the president requesting a "pre-landfall emergency" for Guam. Officials warned residents who aren't in fully concrete structures - many homes on the far-flung island are made of wood and tin - to consider moving.
The weather service said the storm was intensifying and warned of a "triple threat" of winds, torrential rains and life-threatening storm surge on Guam. The weather service said the storm could hit southern Guam around midday Wednesday, which is Tuesday evening in the mainland United States. Guerrero urged residents in a YouTube message to remain calm and ordered the National Guard to help those in low-lying areas evacuate as residents stocked up on water and generators.
The storm is moving at only 5 mph but has an eye 17 miles wide, meaning people at the typhoon's center could see calm conditions for over three hours and conclude, far too soon, that the worst is over, Doll said. As the eye leaves, the winds could rise to 150 mph in minutes, so people should remain sheltered until the government gives the all-clear, he said.
At the island's grocery and hardware stores Monday, people left with shopping carts full of canned goods, cases of water and generators, the Pacific Daily News reported.
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