Typhoon 16W (Bolaven), # 23 FINAL: Kickin’ it in Korea
Published: August 27, 2012
9 a.m. Tuesday, Aug. 28, Korea time: Everything on the Korean peninsula’s west coast is pretty much buttoned up, and with good reason: Typhoon Bolaven is making its way through the Yellow Sea (or West Sea) even as I type this, lashing the coast with southerly 58- to 69-mph wind gusts. Forecasts also call for 4 to 6 inches of rain through the evening as Bolaven crashes ashore long North Korea’s west coast just around sunset.
Bolaven should remain a Category 1 typhoon as it rumbles past Kunsan Air Base 90 miles west around high noon. It next passes 110 miles west of Osan Air Base and Camp Humphreys around 4 p.m., then 106 miles west of Yongsan Garrison at 6 p.m. before making landfall.
Best advice is to stay indoors and wait for any all-clear to be announced. Everything from the schools to the PX and commissary to base shuttled to dining facilities are pretty much closed, so break out the DVDs for a movie marathon, or board games, something to pass the time. Even after the storm has passed, if you venture outside, be careful of downed power lines and flash floods.
Down south around Okinawa, one may think Bolaven hasn’t gotten quite through with the island; sojme rumors had the storm turning around and heading back. Not the case. Tropical Storm Tembin, still active just off the coast of Taiwan, will next make its way into the Yellow Sea, but as a moderate to severe tropical storm over the next few days. Expect some gusty winds and a few showers as Tembin heads north toward forecast landfall around midnight along the North Korea-China border.
Unless things change drastically with either storm, PST will sign off for now.
