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Sunday, October 18, 2026

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Safety · Sunday, October 18, 2026

Super Typhoon Champi brushes past Guam and heads west

Added 7:40 a.m. ET, Oct. 18

The File desk · Oct 18, 2026, 12:15 PM UTC

Status

Confirmed, except where a line below says Partially confirmed. The closest approach is Guam Homeland Security's JIC Release No. 12. The evening position and the end of watches are National Weather Service Advisory Number 16. The all-clear is the Pacific Daily News, citing the governor's office; this desk has not yet seen the government's own release. The far-south damage check is The Guam Daily Post.
  • Confirmed
    The eye of Super Typhoon Champi passed about 10 miles south of Guam's southern tip at about 4:26 a.m. Sunday, Guam time, the island's homeland security office said. Its top winds were near 150 mph. By Sunday evening the storm was moving away to the west, and the National Weather Service had no watches or warnings left for the Marianas.
  • Confirmed
    President Trump approved an emergency declaration for Guam on Sunday, which lets the Federal Emergency Management Agency coordinate help.
  • Confirmed
    Guam's power grid did not black out across the island, the Guam Power Authority said, but only about half of its circuits were online as of 9 a.m. Sunday. Outages were worst in the south. Public schools are closed Monday so staff can check buildings.
  • Partially confirmed
    Gov. Lou Leon Guerrero declared the all-clear, called Condition of Readiness 4, at 6 p.m. Sunday Guam time, the Pacific Daily News reported, citing the governor's office. A drive-around check found no collapsed buildings, no impassable roads and no mudslides, the paper said. This desk has not yet seen the government's own release.
  • Partially confirmed
    How much damage far southern Guam took is not known. A weather service forecaster told The Guam Daily Post that the far south, nearest the eye, has not been assessed and that a check is planned for Monday. Official updates this desk read do not report any deaths.
  • Confirmed
    At 7 p.m. Sunday Guam time the storm was about 200 miles west of Guam and about 365 miles northeast of Yap, still with winds near 150 mph. The weather service expects it to weaken through Monday but stay a major typhoon.
The eye of Super Typhoon Champi passed about 10 miles south of Guam's southern tip at about 4:26 a.m. Sunday, Guam time, the island's homeland security office said.1 Its top winds were near 150 mph. By Sunday evening the storm was moving away to the west, and the National Weather Service had no watches or warnings left for the Marianas.2
President Trump approved an emergency declaration for Guam on Sunday, which lets the Federal Emergency Management Agency coordinate help.3
Guam's power grid did not black out across the island, the Guam Power Authority said, but only about half of its circuits were online as of 9 a.m. Sunday. Outages were worst in the south. Public schools are closed Monday so staff can check buildings.4
Gov. Lou Leon Guerrero declared the all-clear, called Condition of Readiness 4, at 6 p.m. Sunday Guam time, the Pacific Daily News reported, citing the governor's office. A drive-around check found no collapsed buildings, no impassable roads and no mudslides, the paper said. This desk has not yet seen the government's own release.5
What is not known: how much damage far southern Guam took. A weather service forecaster told The Guam Daily Post that the far south, nearest the eye, has not been assessed and that a check is planned for Monday.6 Official updates this desk read do not report any deaths.
What comes next: at 7 p.m. Sunday Guam time the storm was about 200 miles west of Guam and about 365 miles northeast of Yap, still with winds near 150 mph. The weather service expects it to weaken through Monday but stay a major typhoon.2
Why it matters (Estimate). Guam came close to a direct hit from a very strong storm; what crews find in the south will shape the recovery.
Before dawn Sunday, one evacuation shelter, Astumbo Elementary School, was nearly full, with 279 people in a space for 287.7

Notes

  1. 1.Guam Homeland Security/Office of Civil Defense, JIC Release No. 12 (posted Oct. 18, 2026, 8:15 a.m. ChST): https://ghs.guam.gov/jic-release-no-12-super-typhoon-champi-made-its-closest-point-approach-remain-indoors-conditions
  2. 2.National Weather Service Tiyan, Guam, Super Typhoon Champi (29W) Advisory Number 16, 7:52 p.m. ChST Sun Oct 18, 2026: https://forecast.weather.gov/product.php?format=CI&glossary=0&issuedby=PQ2&product=TCP&site=GUM&version=1
  3. 3.Guam Homeland Security/Office of Civil Defense, JIC Release No. 13, Oct. 18, 2026, 9:57 a.m. ChST: https://ghs.guam.gov/sites/default/files/ghs-ocd_jic-release-no13_sty-champi_2026-10-18_0957_chst.pdf
  4. 4.Guam Homeland Security/Office of Civil Defense, JIC Release No. 14, Oct. 18, 2026, 12:45 p.m. ChST: https://ghs.guam.gov/jic-release-no-14-tropical-storm-force-winds-continue-remain-indoors-stay-out-water-schools-update
  5. 5.Pacific Daily News (news report): https://www.guampdn.com/news/6-p-m-sunday-governor-declares-cor4/article_ed581d40-913f-436b-9f1e-5d950bf75226.html
  6. 6.The Guam Daily Post (news report): https://www.postguam.com/news/local/nws-champi-became-super-typhoon-passing-guam-landfall-would-have-been-devastating/article_800fb984-e258-4ed6-a996-1550b27df53b.html
  7. 7.Guam Homeland Security/Office of Civil Defense, JIC Release No. 11, Oct. 18, 2026, 4:56 a.m. ChST (shelter figures as of 9 p.m. Oct. 17): https://ghs.guam.gov/sites/default/files/ghs-ocd_jic-release-no11_ty-champi_2026-10-17_456_chst.pdf

What is still unknown or disputed

Primary sources

Every claim in this story is drawn from the documents below. If a fetch failed, that is recorded on the card.

  1. Source 1

    JIC Release No. 12

    Guam Homeland Security/Office of Civil Defense · October 18, 2026

    The eye of Super Typhoon Champi passed about 10 miles south of Guam's southern tip at about 4:26 a.m. Sunday, Guam time, the island's homeland security office said.

    https://ghs.guam.gov/jic-release-no-12-super-typhoon-champi-made-its-closest-point-approach-remain-indoors-conditions

  2. Source 2

    Super Typhoon Champi (29W) Advisory Number 16

    National Weather Service Tiyan, Guam · October 18, 2026

    By Sunday evening the storm was moving away to the west, and the National Weather Service had no watches or warnings left for the Marianas. At 7 p.m. Sunday Guam time the storm was about 200 miles west of Guam and about 365 miles northeast of Yap, still with winds near 150 mph. The weather service expects it to weaken through Monday but stay a major typhoon.

    https://forecast.weather.gov/product.php?format=CI&glossary=0&issuedby=PQ2&product=TCP&site=GUM&version=1

  3. Source 3

    JIC Release No. 13

    Guam Homeland Security/Office of Civil Defense · October 18, 2026

    President Trump approved an emergency declaration for Guam on Sunday, which lets the Federal Emergency Management Agency coordinate help.

    https://ghs.guam.gov/sites/default/files/ghs-ocd_jic-release-no13_sty-champi_2026-10-18_0957_chst.pdf

  4. Source 4

    JIC Release No. 14

    Guam Homeland Security/Office of Civil Defense · October 18, 2026

    Guam's power grid did not black out across the island, the Guam Power Authority said, but only about half of its circuits were online as of 9 a.m. Sunday. Outages were worst in the south. Public schools are closed Monday so staff can check buildings.

    https://ghs.guam.gov/jic-release-no-14-tropical-storm-force-winds-continue-remain-indoors-stay-out-water-schools-update

  5. Source 5

    6 p.m. Sunday: governor declares COR4

    Pacific Daily News · October 18, 2026

    Gov. Lou Leon Guerrero declared the all-clear, called Condition of Readiness 4, at 6 p.m. Sunday Guam time, the Pacific Daily News reported, citing the governor's office. A drive-around check found no collapsed buildings, no impassable roads and no mudslides, the paper said.

    https://www.guampdn.com/news/6-p-m-sunday-governor-declares-cor4/article_ed581d40-913f-436b-9f1e-5d950bf75226.html

  6. Source 6

    The Guam Daily Post (news report)

    The Guam Daily Post · October 18, 2026

    A weather service forecaster told The Guam Daily Post that the far south, nearest the eye, has not been assessed and that a check is planned for Monday.

    https://www.postguam.com/news/local/nws-champi-became-super-typhoon-passing-guam-landfall-would-have-been-devastating/article_800fb984-e258-4ed6-a996-1550b27df53b.html

  7. Source 7

    JIC Release No. 11

    Guam Homeland Security/Office of Civil Defense · October 18, 2026

    Before dawn Sunday, one evacuation shelter, Astumbo Elementary School, was nearly full, with 279 people in a space for 287. Shelter figures as of 9 p.m. Oct. 17.

    https://ghs.guam.gov/sites/default/files/ghs-ocd_jic-release-no11_ty-champi_2026-10-17_456_chst.pdf