GDOE CLASSES CANCELLED ON SEPTEMBER 12

Classes are cancelled for all Guam Department of Education (GDOE) schools on Wednesday, September 12, 2018, in order to allow for post-typhoon recovery efforts at campuses throughout the island. All 12-month school-based and central office employees are to report to work Wednesday.

Administrators and staff began post-typhoon assessments at schools Tuesday afternoon. Based on these assessments, a large number of schools are working to address significant debris on campus, water leaks, flooding and power outages. Classes are anticipated to resume on Thursday, September 13, 2018, thereby allowing time for school administrators, staff, cleaning vendors and food vendors to ensure campuses are safe and ready to open.

“We are working hard to get our schools open for our kids, however, due to the impacts of Typhoon Mangkhut, additional time is needed for GDOE and our partner agencies to make repairs,” GDOE Superintendent Jon Fernandez said. “We will be working throughout today and tomorrow to prepare our campuses and to ensure the safety of our students and employees before welcoming our students back to class.”

Fifteen GDOE schools served as primary shelters for displaced individuals and families throughout the duration of Typhoon Mangkhut, sheltering over 2,100 individuals, 44% of which were children. Following the declaration of COR 4 Tuesday afternoon, all 15 shelters were closed as displaced individuals were transitioned to Tier II shelters at village gyms.

“I want to thank the numerous GDOE employees that helped manage almost a full 48 hours of shelter operations. Thank you also to all the community partners who assisted with the sheltering efforts, including the Guam Police Department, Department of Public Works, Office of Homeland Security and Civil Defense, and Mayors’ Council of Guam,” Fernandez said.

“We are keeping our students and families in mind, as we know many of them have suffered losses throughout the storm. We will continue to pray for them and for our entire island’s recovery.”

ISA J. B. BAZA
Public Information Officer

X Flooding is a temporary overflowing of water onto land that is normally dry. Flooding may happen with only a few inches of water, or it may cover a house to the rooftop. There are many possible causes of floods including heavy rain, coastal storms and storm surge, waterway overflow from being blocked with debris, or overflow of levees, dams, or waste water systems. Flooding can occur slowly over many days or happen very quickly with little or no warning, called flash floods.

To learn more, visit https://www.ready.gov/floods

Wildfire

Regularly clean the roof and gutters.
Maintain an area approximately 30’ away from you home that is free of anything that will burn, such as wood piles, dried leaves, newspapers and other brush.
Connect garden hoses long enough to reach any area of the home and fill garbage cans, tubs, or other large containers with water.
Review your homeowner's insurance policy and also prepare/update a list of your home's contents.

Fire Weather

Turn on your TV/radio. You’ll get the latest weather updates and emergency instructions.
Know where to go. If you are ordered to evacuate, know the route to take and have plan of where you will go. Check-in with your friends and family.
Keep your car fueled, in good condition, and stocked with emergency supplies and a change of clothes.

Drought

Conserve water

Take shorter showers.

Turn off the water while brushing your teeth or shaving.
Run the washer less frequently and only when you have a full load.
Water your lawn less frequently and do so when the temperature is cooler in the early morning or late evening.
When you run the tap to heat or cool water, keep a pitcher to store the water and use it to water plants.
Avoid washing your car.

Practice fire prevention

Don't set off fireworks when conditions are dry.
Deposit cigarette butts in the proper receptacle to avoid starting a
Pour water over camp fires and backyard fire pits to ensure they are completely out before leaving them unattended.

Follow directions from local officials. If there are restrictions on water usage, be sure to heed them.

To learn more, visit https://www.ready.gov/wildfires and https://www.ready.gov/drought

X
Typhoons/Hurricanes are massive storm systems that form over the water and move toward land. Threats from typhoons/hurricanes include high winds, heavy rainfall, storm surge, coastal and inland flooding, and rip currents.

“Hurricanes” form in the Atlantic Northeast Pacific region and “Typhoons” form in the Northwest Pacific Region. These large storms are call cyclones in other parts of the world.

To learn more, visit https://www.ready.gov/hurricanes.