Severe Storm Alert: Real-Time Tracker, Impact Timeline & Must-Know Safety Tips

Super Typhoon Sinlaku, the most powerful storm of 2026 so far, is roaring across the western Pacific with sustained winds near 175 mph and gusts topping 200 mph, putting Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands directly in its path. Forecasters at the Joint Typhoon Warning Center expect the Category 5 system to pass within 50 miles of Guam late Tuesday night into early Wednesday, bringing life-threatening storm surge up to 25 feet along east-facing coasts, 10–15 inches of torrential rain and widespread power outages. Emergency preparations under way • Guam’s governor has activated the island’s emergency operations center, ordered schools closed and urged residents in low-lying villages such as Inarajan and Yona to move to higher ground. • United Airlines and Japan Airlines have canceled or diverted flights scheduled through Wednesday. • More than 60 public shelters are opening today, with officials stressing the need for at least three days of food, water and medications per person. Why Sinlaku exploded so quickly Sea-surface temperatures near 30 °C (86 °F) and minimal wind shear allowed the typhoon’s eye to contract on Sunday, boosting peak winds by nearly 60 mph in 24 hours—a textbook case of “rapid intensification,” according to meteorologists at the Weather Prediction Center. If Sinlaku maintains Category 5 strength when its eyewall reaches Guam, it would rival 2002’s Super Typhoon Pongsona, which caused $730 million in damage (adjusted for inflation). Wider storm threat for the United States While the Pacific braces for Sinlaku, a separate storm system is set to fire severe thunderstorms from Minnesota to Michigan on Monday. The Storm Prediction Center highlights a Moderate Risk for giant hail, 70 mph straight-line winds and a few strong tornadoes, especially from the Twin Cities eastward toward Green Bay. What residents should do now 1. Secure loose outdoor items and board up windows by sunset Tuesday. 2. Charge phones, fill gas tanks and withdraw cash before power disruptions. 3. Evacuate immediately if local officials issue a storm-surge or flash-flood warning. 4. After the storm, avoid downed power lines and heed boil-water advisories. Key takeaway Sinlaku’s combination of Category 5 winds, extreme storm surge and flooding rain makes it a historically dangerous storm for Guam and the Northern Marianas. Swift preparation today will save lives when the core of this record-setting storm arrives.