Guam, 2013

Lightning Strike in Guam, July 7, 2013

July 7, 2013 · NWS GUM · 1 event in 1 county or zone

On July 7, 2013 A lightning strike caused the shutdown of the National Telecommunication Authority (NTA) power line system at the Rita substation, disrupting television service. This also disrupted television, internet and cellular phone service in Majuro.

Where it happened

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  • Hail
  • Winter weather
  • Heat and drought
  • Cold
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The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
$50,000
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
1

Deaths and injuries are direct and indirect together, as the offices filed them. Damage is property and crops in the dollars of the year, not adjusted for inflation, and only where an office estimated it.

What happened

The episode as NWS GUM wrote it up.

On July 7, 2013 A lightning strike caused the shutdown of the National Telecommunication Authority (NTA) power line system at the Rita substation, disrupting television service. According to NTA MHTV Transmission Supervisor Rayner Peter Jr., the power system and backup generator were damaged.This also disrupted television, internet and cellular phone service in Majuro.

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before the first event, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.

NWS Guam wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Jul 6, 9:38 PM UTC, 2 hours 44 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jul 6, 9:38 PM UTC, 2 hours 44 minutes before
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TIYAN GU
738 AM CHST SUN JUL 7 2013

.SYNOPSIS...
PGUA WSR-88D SHOWS ONLY ISOLATED SHOWERS MOVING THROUGH THE
MARIANAS WATERS AS SUBSIDENCE ASSOCIATED WITH A TUTT PASSES
THROUGH.

&&

.DISCUSSION...
ACTIVE WEATHER TO THE NORTH OF ANATAHAN AS A TUTT IS PROMOTING
UPPER-LEVEL DIVERGENCE TO ITS NORTH. SOUTH OF ANATAHAN...WHERE ALL
THE REGULAR FORECAST ZONES ARE...ARE AT THIS TIME IN THE
COMPENSATING SUBSIDENCE. WENT AHEAD AND TOOK OUT THUNDER TODAY.
WHILE THE WINDS WILL BE LIGHT ENOUGH AND SUN SHOULD BE BRIGHT
ENOUGH...FIGURED THE SUBSIDENCE COULD BE TOO MUCH FOR IT. THIS IS
THE ASPECT OF THE FORECAST THAT WILL BEAR WATCHING THROUGH MID-
MORNING. GENERALLY BENIGN MARINE CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED ALL THIS
WEEK.

&&

.EASTERN MICRONESIA...
TWO DISTINCTIVE TRADE-WIND DISTURBANCES CAN BE SEEN ACROSS EASTERN
MICRONESIA. THE FIRST ONE IS APPROACHING POHNPEI THIS MORNING AND
WILL ALSO REACH CHUUK BY EARLY MONDAY MORNING. THEREFORE EXPECT
CONVECTION NEAR POHNPEI AND KOSRAE TODAY TO SHIFT WESTWARD TOWARD
CHUUK ON MONDAY MORNING. THE SECOND DISTURBANCE IS PASSING THRU
MAJURO AND WILL MAINTAIN SHOWERY CONDITIONS INTO THIS EVENING. AS
THIS DISTURBANCE GRADUALLY PUSHES WESTWARD...IT COULD IMPACT KOSRAE
ON TUESDAY AND POHNPEI...CHUUK AFTER MIDWEEK. OSCAT SATELLITE
IMAGERY CONTINUES TO SHOW A TRADE-WIND CONVERGENCE ZONE BETWEEN 3N
AND 9N EAST OF THE DATE LINE. THIS FEATURE WILL ENTER THE REGION
FROM EAST TO WEST AND MIGHT PROLONG WETNESS FOR MAJURO AND KOSRAE
DURING THE FIRST HALF OF THIS WEEK.

&&

.WESTERN MICRONESIA...
DUE TO A SIMILAR SYNOPTIC PATTERN...THE SYNOPSIS FOR THE CHUUK
FORECAST CAN BE FOUND IN THE EASTERN MICRONESIA DISCUSSION ABOVE.
RELATIVELY FAIR WEATHER IS ANTICIPATED TO ACCOMPANY YAP AND KOROR
FOR THE NEXT SEVERAL DAYS. AFTER MIDWEEK...REMNANTS OF THE
DISTURBANCE NEAR CHUUK SHOULD INCREASE THE CHANCE OF SHOWERS.

&&

.GUM WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
GU...NONE.
MARIANAS WATERS...NONE.
&&

STANKO/CHAN

The radar

The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

1 lightning. Local standard time, as filed.

Lightning, Marshall Islands

When
July 7, 10:22 AM GST to 11:43 AM GST
Where
Marshall Islands County, 2.54 mi WSW of Majuro
Property damage
$50,000
Reported by
Newspaper
Coordinates
7.085, 171.366

On July 7, 2013 A lightning strike caused the shutdown of the National Telecommunication Authority (NTA) power line system at the Rita substation, disrupting television service. According to NTA MHTV Transmission Supervisor Rayner Peter Jr., the power system and backup generator were damaged.This also disrupted television, internet and cellular phone service in Majuro.

What these are

Lightning
A lightning strike that killed, injured or caused damage.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in Guam in 2013Every state in 2013This day in weather historyWarnings in Guam, July 2013

Sources

NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, compiled from the National Weather Service’s monthly Storm Data. Complete through 2026-06; NCEI adds each month about 75 days after it ends and revises past years a few times a year. Rebuilt 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 470547.