Steve Limtiaco

More than 98% of Guam’s power poles are now concrete or steel instead of wood, according to the Guam Power Authority, and more than 60% of the “vital” power lines

Editor's note: This story has been updated with positioning and speeds as of 3 p.m.

Although Guam is expected to see the worst of Typhoon Mawar, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands also has opened emergency shelters and placed its southern islands under typhoon

Typhoon Mawar is now expected to pass over central or northern Guam between 5 p.m. and 7 p.m., according to the National Weather Service, which reported the storm’s eye shifted

The Guam Chapter of the American Red Cross will begin assessing typhoon damage in the villages as soon as the governor gives the all-clear, according to Executive Director Chita Blaise,

Guam Power Authority engineers and line crews started assessing damage and repairing power infrastructure early Thursday morning, GPA reported Thursday afternoon.

The Office of the Attorney General is investigating United Airlines for possibly violating the island's Deceptive Practices Consumer Protection Act, citing recently increased air fares to Guam following the typhoon.

Tourism arrivals drop for a long time after disasters, and it could be 30 months before Guam recovers the arrivals it will lose because of Typhoon Mawar, according to the

As power is restored to the island following Typhoon Mawar, monthly power bills will now be much cheaper.

The government of Guam doesn’t have enough funding left in this year’s budget to cover $50 million in typhoon-related cash payments to residents, according to administration officials, who said the