Typhoon 16W (Bolaven), # 8
Published: August 23, 2012
Midnight Thursday, Aug. 23, Japan time: This could be the proverbial "bad one," campers.
Forecast track now has Typhoon Bolaven making a direct hit on Okinawa at mid-afternoon Sunday, at which point the Joint Typhoon Warning Center says it will reach peak intensity as a Category 4-equivalent storm on the Saffir-Simpson Scale.
Kadena Air Base 18th Wing Weather Flight forecasts say Okinawa can expect sustained 58-mph winds and greater between 1 a.m. and 11 p.m. Sunday. Peak sustained 138-mph winds and 167-mph gusts are forecast for 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday.
Here's the latest forecast wind timeline from Kadena's 18th Wing Weather Flight:
-- Sustained 35-mph winds and greater, 6 a.m. Saturday.
-- Sustained 40-mph winds and greater, 4 p.m. Saturday.
-- Sustained 58-mph winds and greater, 1 a.m. Sunday.
-- Maximum 138-mph sustained winds and 167-mph gusts, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday.
-- Winds diminishing below 58 mph, 11 p.m. Sunday.
-- Winds diminishing below 40 mph, 6 a.m. Monday.
-- Winds diminishing below 35 mph, 2 p.m. Monday.
As you can see, this thing's gonna hang around for a while.
Okinawa remains in Tropical Cyclone Condition of Readiness 4. Whether this thing continues to plow toward us or veers in one direction or another, do not take this one lightly. Bolaven could become the worst typhoon to hit the island in 13 years, based on JTWC wind-speed projections.
If you haven’t done so already, get those loose objects inside; at those wind speeds, loose objects of all sizes can become dangerous projectiles. Get them indoors or tie them down. Check your typhoon kit. Non-perishable food, enough water to last three days, a battery-operated portable radio tuned to AFN Wave 89, and yes, enough food for your furry friends as well. Plan a run to the ATM. Have enough cash and local currency on hand to last a few days. And gas up the car. Gasoline stands and ATMs can lose power for days.
And always, a word to the wise: When accelerated TCCORs are issued, they’re issued for a reason: To keep you safe. Stay indoors from the time TCCOR 1-E is declared and remain there until TCCOR Storm Watch. Off base or on base. Don’t be tempted to head to Maeda Point or Bolo Point to watch the breakers; that’s a good way to get pulled into the water by a maverick wave. And please, keep the surf boards at home; you don’t want to test these waters, under which many a coral deposit lies just below the surface.
