Carrier strike group deploying to Guam to assist in typhoon recovery

The Navy has ordered the USS Nimitz aircraft carrier strike group to the U.S. territory of Guam to assist in recovery efforts after Typhoon Mawar passed through the island as a devastating Category 4 storm Wednesday night local time. 

A defense official confirmed to The Hill that the Nimitz, the cruiser USS Bunker Hill, and the destroyer USS Wayne E. Meyer are en route to Guam and expected to arrive in three or four days; they are currently south of Japan.

The official noted that the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) had not yet requested support from the military in response to the typhoon. When it does, the Navy ships will be postured to assist, the official said. 

The Associated Press first reported on the deployment. 

Typhoon Mawar began to pass over the island on Wednesday evening and intensified as it continued into Thursday, hitting the island with heavy rain, winds and a storm surge that knocked out power across the territory.  

With winds reaching a maximum sustained speed of 140 mph, it is the strongest storm to hit Guam in decades, according to the National Weather Service. 

The service also warned the roughly 150,000 residents of extremely dangerous and life-threatening conditions on the island, recommending people shelter for several hours until the storm lessens.  

Ahead of the typhoon, U.S. Indo-Pacific Command ordered the evacuation of defense personnel and their families from areas expected to be hit. About 6,800 U.S. service members are assigned to Guam, a major hub for U.S. forces in the Pacific. 

The command also moved Navy ships out to sea and sent military aircraft off the island or stored them in hangars.  

While power and internet failures made it hard to assess the early scope of the damage on Guam, President Biden has already approved an emergency declaration for the territory.

The declaration will support the mobilization of resources to the island, help seen as “especially crucial given our distance from the continental U.S.,” Guam Gov. Lou Leon Guerrero said, according to the AP.