HONOLULU — The Coast Guard continues to monitor and prepare for the arrival of Tropical Storm Guillermo in the main Hawaiian Islands and respond to damage in Guam and Saipan caused by Typhoon Soudelor, today, the Service’s 225th birthday.
As our Service turns 225 we celebrate the legacy of the Coast Guard and our growth from the Revenue Cutter Service to what we are today. In response to these storms crews throughout the Coast Guard 14th District are busy conducting our missions of ports, waterways, and coastal security, aids to navigation, search and rescue, living marine resources, marine safety, marine environmental protection and other law enforcement proving we are America’s lifesavers and we are Semper Paratus, Always Ready.
The public in Hawaii is advised to use caution and prepare for severe weather expected to generate extreme sea conditions, storm surge, high surf and heavy rains throughout the main Hawaiian Islands. As of Tuesday morning, Guillermo is tracking to the northwest with 70 mph sustained winds and seas up to 22 feet.
“We remain vigilant as storms can intensify suddenly, as we saw with Soudelor, or change course,” said Lt. Justin Gear, command duty officer, Coast Guard 14th District command center. “Err on the side of caution, no one should underestimate the potential for dangerous storm conditions. Guillermo is expected to pass the Hawaiian Islands by late Thursday and we will continue to monitor it into the far Western Pacific.”
Visitors to Hawaii should heed all warnings from lifeguards and public health and safety officials. A Tropical Storm Warning is in effect for the Hawaiian Islands and high surf is expected on all eastern facing shores of the Big Island, Maui, Molokai and Oahu. Boaters can monitor the progress of the storm through media, the National Weather Service and VHF channel 16. Small craft advisories and warnings are also broadcast on VHF channel 16.
“No port closures are anticipated but we are keeping in close contact with our port partners allowing us to react quickly if the storm intensifies or changes course and other action is warranted,” said Cmdr. Ulysses Mullins, chief of prevention, Coast Guard Sector Honolulu.
Mariners should secure their boats and boating equipment. Owners of large boats are urged to move their vessels to protected marinas where they will be less likely to break free of their moorings or to be otherwise damaged. It may be advisable for smaller boats to be pulled from the water and stored in a place that is not prone to flooding and is protected. Regardless of location, all loose items aboard vessels should be secured or removed.
Coast Guard crews from Sector Guam and those aboard the cutters Sequoia and Assateague are rendering assistance to affected communities in the Northern Mariana Islands by delivering supplies, clearing ports, addressing aids to navigation needs and responding to potential pollution from damaged infrastructure and grounded vessels.
For more information on Coast Guard efforts contact the Coast Guard 14th District public affairs office at 808-535-3230.
Guillermo’s progress and any safety advisories can be viewed on the National Weather Service’s site at: http://www.prh.noaa.gov/hnl/cphc/tcpages/?storm=Guillermo