Two typhoons in two months test resilience across Guam and the Northern Marianas
Super Typhoon Bavi tore across the Mariana Islands on July 6, passing directly over Rota as a catastrophic Category 5-equivalent storm with sustained winds reaching 180 mph — surpassing Sinlaku to become the strongest storm to hit the region this year. Intense winds and flooding continued throughout the day as the storm's eye passed directly over Rota, and The Salvation Army, alongside local officials, is now beginning initial damage assessments across Guam, Rota, Tinian, and Saipan.
The Salvation Army Hawaiian & Pacific Islands Division is mobilizing its Emergency Disaster Services in response. Corps in Guam and Saipan are preparing to deploy meal services to shelters and strategic community locations, working in coordination with the Guam Homeland Security/Office of Civil Defense and CNMI Homeland Security and Emergency Management.
The home of a member of The Salvation Army's Saipan Corps, pictured following the destruction of Typhoon Sinlaku.
A second, stronger crisis for communities still recovering
Bavi's impact comes less than three months after Super Typhoon Sinlaku struck the same islands in April as the world's strongest storm of 2026 at that time — a record Bavi has now surpassed. Many communities were still without power and rebuilding when Bavi arrived, deepening needs in places that had not yet recovered from the first disaster.
"The very communities in the path of Super Typhoon Bavi are still recovering from the aftermath of Sinlaku, where we have been working closely with local partners to provide resources and healing," said Major Troy Trimmer, Divisional Commander for The Salvation Army Hawaiian and Pacific Islands Division. "As we respond to this second, even stronger crisis in the span of a few months, we remain steadfast in our commitment to meet emerging needs and uplift our neighbors that have already endured so much."
Readiness in action
In preparation for this response, The Salvation Army on Guam and Saipan purchased additional water, non-perishable food, and supplies that will be distributed to the community through coordinated relief efforts in the coming weeks. Food distribution on Saipan, with additional support for Tinian and Rota, will be run out of the Saipan Corps.
Salvation Army cadets Jonathan and Rachel Utrera prepare bottled water for distribution in anticipation of Typhoon Bavi disaster response.
100% of your gift goes directly to relief
Every dollar donated will support typhoon disaster relief efforts across the Pacific region. The immediate response will focus on meeting urgent needs — providing hot meals and essential supplies to displaced families — before shifting into longer-term recovery support as communities rebuild.
Through its Sinlaku relief efforts alone, The Salvation Army has served 13,965 meals, delivered 4,344 home-delivered boxes of staples, and provided emotional and spiritual care to nearly 600 impacted individuals. As an even stronger storm in Bavi adds new urgency to islands still recovering, that same level of sustained support is needed again.
The Salvation Army Hawaiian & Pacific Islands Division is standing by its corps in Guam and Saipan, and the communities of Rota and Tinian, as they face this second — and more severe — disaster in a matter of months. Your support helps ensure no one has to face it alone.