Typhoon warning lifted for Guam as Super Typhoon Champi moves away; about half the island has power

As of 3:07 a.m. ET, Sunday, Oct. 18, 2026

The National Weather Service (NWS) canceled the Typhoon Warning for Guam, Rota and their coastal waters early Sunday ET as Super Typhoon Champi kept moving west, away from the Mariana Islands. With the warning canceled, no typhoon warnings remain in effect for any of the islands. NWS Guam said weather and marine conditions would stay hazardous.

President Donald Trump has approved a presidential emergency declaration for Guam, the Guam Joint Information Center (JIC) said. The JIC said the declaration authorizes the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) "to coordinate emergency assistance to save lives, protect property and public health and safety, and lessen or avert the threat of a catastrophe". The Pacific Daily News reported that Trump also approved an emergency declaration for the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. "We are grateful for the president's quick response," Gov. Lou Leon Guerrero said.

Champi made its closest approach around 4:26 a.m. ChST Sunday (2:26 p.m. ET Saturday), passing about 10 miles south of Merizo. "Southern Guam has borne the brunt of the storm's damaging winds and heavy rainfall," the JIC said.

Where the storm is

In Intermediate Advisory 15A, issued at 2:50 a.m. ET (4:50 p.m. ChST Sunday), the NWS said Champi was about 170 miles west of Guam and 215 miles west-southwest of Rota as of 2 a.m. ET. It had maximum sustained winds of 150 mph and was moving west at 16 mph.

The NWS expects Champi to turn slightly toward the west-northwest and slow a little "as it continues to move away from the Marianas." It is forecast to strengthen, "possibly becoming a Category 5 Super Typhoon early Monday morning" local time, which is Sunday ET. Typhoon-force winds extend up to 60 miles from the center and tropical-storm-force winds up to 160 miles.

In its final hourly position update, at 2:41 a.m. ET, the NWS said Champi's eye was moving beyond the range of Guam's radar and appeared to be going through an eyewall replacement cycle. Heavy rainbands reached as far east as the edge of western Guam's coastal waters. Earlier, in a statement at 1:01 a.m. ET (3:01 p.m. ChST), the NWS said Guam International Airport was recording sustained winds of 25 to 30 mph with frequent tropical-storm-force gusts up to 60 mph.

A near miss, not a direct hit

The storm's eye stayed offshore. In a statement issued at 7:38 p.m. ET Saturday (9:38 a.m. ChST Sunday), the NWS said Champi's eye and "the destructive conditions within its compact eyewall, narrowly missed Guam". NWS Warning Coordination Meteorologist Landon Aydlett called it a "near miss," the Pacific Daily News reported.

Power and water

The Guam Power Authority said about 51% of its distribution feeders and circuits were online as of 9 a.m. ChST Sunday (7 p.m. ET Saturday), and most transmission lines supplying northern Guam were intact, The Guam Daily Post reported. Substations that lost power include Talofofo, Umatac, Radio Barrigada and part of Pulantat. The utility said outages were "especially affecting our southern sector customers". Earlier, the JIC said about 75% of the island had power at 5:30 a.m. ChST and about 50% at 7:50 a.m. ChST (3:30 p.m. and 5:50 p.m. ET Saturday).

Feeders serving Naval Base Guam, most of Hotel Row in Tumon, Guam Memorial Hospital, Harmon Industrial Park, Andersen Air Force Base and Camp Blaz remained online. Utility crews headed out to begin assessing damage at 4 p.m. ChST (2 a.m. ET Sunday), the Pacific Daily News reported.

The Guam Waterworks Authority had 98 production wells online as of 8 a.m. ChST, most of them on generator power. It had reports of low or no water pressure in parts of Pago Bay, Malesso' and Latte Heights, the Pacific Daily News reported, citing the JIC.

Warnings

Advisory 15A canceled the Typhoon Warning for Guam, Rota and the adjacent coastal waters. Advisory 14A had already canceled warnings for Tinian and Saipan.

A Flood Watch for Guam and Rota was extended through 2 p.m. ET Sunday (4 a.m. ChST Monday), with 2 to 4 inches of rain possible on Guam from Champi's outer bands. A Coastal Flood Warning and High Surf Warning also run until 2 p.m. ET Sunday. They warn of "significant coastal flooding" and breaking waves of 18 to 24 feet.

Response

Guam was still in Condition of Readiness 1 in the JIC's 10 a.m. ChST release, which told residents to stay inside a sturdy, concrete-reinforced structure until COR 4 is announced. In its 1:01 a.m. ET statement, the NWS told residents not to go outside to check for damage or make repairs while damaging gusts continue, and to wait for the all-clear.

All Guam Department of Education public schools will be closed Monday, Oct. 19, so staff can assess facility damage, the Pacific Daily News reported. Schools serving as shelters will stay open to evacuees.

As of 3:07 a.m. ET, officials had not released figures on deaths, injuries or damage.

What's next

The NWS's next full advisory is due at 6 a.m. ET Sunday (8 p.m. ChST), followed by an intermediate advisory at 9 a.m. ET (11 p.m. ChST).