Guam is battening down the hatches. Tropical Storm Champi is expected to pass over the island on Sunday, Oct. 18, and government agencies, hospitals, banks and even the Catholic Church have rolled out storm protocols that visitors on the island should be aware of.

The port has already shifted to Heavy Weather Condition Yankee under the U.S. Coast Guard, meaning the harbour is shut to inbound vessels without special authorisation, larger commercial ships must leave, and cargo operations are winding down. The Port Authority has activated its Emergency Command Center.

If you're on island, healthcare arrangements are the biggest change to know about. Guam Memorial Hospital will start pre-registering expectant mothers from Saturday morning — women 36 weeks pregnant or more, or those at least 24 weeks with high-risk pregnancies — but only once the hospital formally announces intake has opened. Guam Regional Medical City suspends all patient visitation from 11 a.m. on Oct. 17, though its emergency room stays open around the clock; outpatient clinics close Oct. 19 and should reopen around Oct. 20, depending on conditions. For less serious issues, the Southern Region Community Health Center in Inalåhan stays open throughout the storm for urgent, non-life-threatening care.

Expect power cuts. The Guam Power Authority says crews will move out as soon as winds drop to safe levels, restoring hospitals, 911 services, water wells and other critical infrastructure first, then working through main circuits and neighbourhoods. Its smart grid will eventually map remaining outages village by village.

Day-to-day life pauses too. All Department of Public Health and Social Services offices close except essential operations, resuming once Condition of Readiness 4 is declared. Coast360 Federal Credit Union shut all branches at 4 p.m. Friday, with members directed to its app, phone banking and ATMs in the meantime. And at COR 1, the Archdiocese of Agana suspends all masses.

One quirk worth noting: the Department of Agriculture is reminding anyone shipping vehicles, cargo or vessels off-island — to the Northern Mariana Islands, for instance — that free brown treesnake inspections are mandatory. The snakes love hiding in rolled metal sheeting, PVC pipes and stacked plywood, exactly the kind of storm-repair materials likely to move in the coming weeks. Inspections run 24/7 at no cost via USDA Wildlife Services.

For travellers, the practical takeaway is simple: if Champi is on your itinerary, expect closures and service interruptions through Sunday and beyond, keep an eye on Condition of Readiness announcements (COR 4 signals all-clear), and don't plan inter-island cargo or ferry movements until inspections and port operations resume. Anyone with medical needs should sort arrangements before conditions deteriorate — and in a genuine emergency, go straight to hospital care rather than waiting.