Tropical Storm 12W (Haikui), # 11: By the numbers
Published: August 6, 2012
5:30 p.m. Monday, Aug. 6, Japan time: Finally, it looks like Haikui is picking up forward speed west toward China again and gradually heading out of our area (knock on wood; famous last words, etc.). Okinawa remains in Tropical Cyclone Condition of Readiness Storm Watch.
At 3 p.m., Haikui was 175 miles west-northwest of Kadena Air Base, rumbling west-northwest at 7 mph toward forecast landfall off China's east coast around 3 a.m. Wednesday. Forecast models, however, are not in agreement on this; some have Haikui curving sharply toward the Sea of Japan (East Sea), while others have it plowing inland.
By the numbers:
-- Strongest sustained winds 45 mph, strongest gust 76 mph felt at 4:38 a.m. Monday at Nago, Okinawa's second-largest city. That according to Kadena Air Base's 18th Wing Weather flight.
-- More than nine inches of rain fell from 6:52 p.m. Sunday; again, that according to Kadena's 18th Wing Weather Flight. Okinawa's Drought Countermeasures Agency reports the island's eight prefectural dams at 98.1-percent capacity. The privately-owned Kurashiki and Yamashiro dams are at 100 percent. Island average 98.2 percent. Safe zone is considered 75 percent or above. The island has not rationed water since 1994.
-- No initial reports of damage, deaths, injuries or flooding, although some areas off base did resemble war zones.
-- Airport officials reported 353 flights serving Naha international Airport canceled, affecting more than 70,000 passengers inbound and outbound. Japan Air Lines and its affiliates Japan Transocean Air and Ryukyu Air Commuter led the way with 184 cancellations. It may take days for the overflow of passengers to be corrected.
-- Post exchanges and commissaries reopened at 2:30 p.m. along with various other on-base agencies. The Dark Knight Rises (PG-13) will be shown at Keystone Theater on Kadena at 7 p.m. Macaroni Grill on Foster reopened at 4 p.m. Kadena's bowling, Schilling, ITT, auto hobby and arts and crafts reopened this afternoon. Okuma will remain closed until tomorrow.
