U.S. Coast Guard reopens Port of Guam, works to clear channel hazards as Northern Marianas port assessments continue

SANTA RITA, Guam — The U.S. Coast Guard Captain of the Port for Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands reset Port Heavy Weather Condition (PHWC) WHISKEY for the Port of Guam, effective 2 p.m. ChST on Thursday, July 9, reopening the port to 24/7 commercial traffic and cargo operations without waterway restrictions. All operators must coordinate operations with the Port of Guam and the harbormaster.

A U.S. Coast Guard Station Apra Harbor 45-foot Response Boat-Medium crew working with U.S. Navy Explosive Ordnance Disposal Mobile Unit Five removed Buoy 2 at the Outer Apra Harbor entrance, which moved off station during the storm into the channel, where vessels expect safe water.

“Our thanks to our partners at EOD for assisting with freeing Buoy 2 and working alongside our Station Apra Harbor crew to relocate it,” said Capt. Jessica Worst, commander, U.S. Coast Guard Forces Micronesia/Sector Guam and Captain of the Port Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands. “Their efforts not only allowed us to reopen the waterway and get commerce flowing but also freed up our U.S. Coast Guard divers to head north and begin to address discrepancies in Tinian and Rota.”

The U.S. Coast Guard continues to work with the Port of Guam, the Commonwealth Ports Authority, and commercial partners to reopen ports and address all discrepancies caused by the storm.

The USCGC Myrtle Hazard (WPC 1139) departed Guam and arrived in Rota Thursday conducting assessments of Rota’s harbors. The cutter crew intends further surveys in Tinian Friday and will support U.S. Coast Guard divers working the buoys that are off station in CNMI. Crews aboard the HC-130J Hercules airplane from Hawai'i headed to Rota with an assessment team and aids to navigation parts and, in concert with that mission, transported eight pallets of water donated by the community and local non-profit organizations.

The Marianas operate on a hub-and-spoke model, with most cargo and vessels transiting Guam before reaching the CNMI, a function of commercial logistics and routes rather than anything the U.S. Coast Guard regulates. Reopening Guam and Saipan are vital to reaching Rota and Tinian, not a substitute for it. Rota sustained infrastructure damage during Typhoon Sinlaku, and the Bavi further damaged the region.

The U.S. Coast Guard is coordinating with the Port of Guam and the Commonwealth Ports Authority to fully assess the ports, address already identified hazards as well as new issues. Multiple navigational aids are reportedly discrepant, off station, or simply missing. The U.S. Coast Guard issued a Broadcast Notice to Mariners and reminds all operators to exercise extreme caution when transiting waterways as restoration efforts continue.

Three things the U.S. Coast Guard continues to ask of the public:

• Report any emergency on VHF Channel 16 or by calling 911. Social media is not monitored for distress. Significant VHF outages persist, so carry more than one way to call for help.
• Trust official sources for reopening and safety updates: NWS Guam, Guam Homeland Security/Office of Civil Defense, and the CNMI EOC State Warning Point.
• Stay out of the water and off jetties, piers, and docks. Dangerous surf, rip currents, and hazardous seas persist with advisories in effect through Friday.

-USCG-

About U.S. Coast Guard Forces MicronesiaU.S. Coast Guard Forces Micronesia/Sector Guam is responsible for U.S. Coast Guard operations across a 2.6 million square nautical mile area of responsibility encompassing Guam, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, and the Freely Associated States comprised of the Republic of Palau, the Federated States of Micronesia, and the Republic of the Marshall Islands. These missions range from maritime security and enabling the flow of commerce to search and rescue and maritime crisis response across a vast and dynamic region.