Champi climbs to Category 5 after glancing Guam
Super Typhoon Champi strengthened to Category 5 with sustained winds near 165 mph about six hours after passing just south of Guam as a Category 4 storm. Its center missed Guam's southern tip by roughly 12 miles, and the island was spared catastrophic wind damage because only the northern eyewall brushed it. Although an eyewall replacement cycle weakened Champi, forecasters expect it to track west-northwest toward Taiwan and possibly regain Category 5 strength on Monday.
Champi's Category 5 rating came after forecasters revisited the 00 UTC Oct. 18 assessment, making it the ninth such storm worldwide in 2026. By late Sunday morning EDT, its top winds had dropped to about 140 mph as its inner core reorganized.
Guam has long been typhoon-prone: records from 1948–2025 list 27 category 1-plus storms passing within 50 miles, 14 of them major. Champi was 2026's second major typhoon near Guam, following Bavi. Karen in 1962 remains Guam's strongest and costliest; Pamela in 1976 was deadliest.
If Champi follows its forecast toward Taiwan, residents and authorities there may face heightened preparedness demands, possible evacuations, transport disruptions, and agricultural or infrastructure losses. Guam's near miss could still leave costly cleanup and psychological strain, while shipping and aviation in the region may see schedule changes. Because intensity forecasts can shift, uncertainty may keep emergency managers balancing readiness with avoiding unnecessary alarm.