Typhoon Bolaven

[AmdEmAll]

http://www.wunderground.com/tropical/tracking/wp201216.html

All his hype about Isaac @ 70mph winds and on the other side of the globe some Japanese islands are about to be raped by 145+ mph winds (170 gusts). Not a peep about it on the news. I find this to be funny.

Ain't merica... i dun care

 

[ViRGE]

Well that's a big'un. Are any of those islands inhabited?

 

[unokitty]

Forty two years ago, I worked on the highest hill in the southern part of Okinawa.

Rode out a few typhoons then, but nothing like this.

If this weather map is correct, it looks like that thing is going to roll right over Okinawa.

Best of luck to everyone!

Uno

 

[Raizinman]

Our local news and weather seems more interested in the kitty that fell down the sewer drain and there always seems to be the local shooting of some gangster at 3AM in the bad part of town. Well, thats all that happens here folks.

 

[Crono]

That's one intense system

Less powerful hurricanes in the Atlantic can potentially do a lot of damage to places like Haiti, but when you have 170+ MPH gusts hitting even a highly developed country used to typhoons it's time to be worried.

I pray that the typhoon doesn't cost many lives or property damage.

 

[unokitty]

By 6 p.m. Sunday, Kadena’s 18th Wing Weather Flight is calling for:

-- Maximum 150-mph sustained winds and 184-mph gusts.

-------------------------------------------------
If it was in the Atlantic, it would be a Category 4 Storm. Impacts from Cat 4 storms are described as:

"Catastrophic damage will occur
Category 4 hurricanes tend to produce more extensive curtainwall failures, with some complete roof structural failure on small residences. Heavy, irreparable damage and near complete destruction of gas station canopies and other wide span overhang type structures are common. ..."

By way of reference, the greatest natural disaster in US History, the Galveston Storm of 1900, was a Cat 4 Storm.

--------------------------------------------

I imagine that right about now, if the liquor stores are still open that the lines are getting pretty lengthy. Though, there's a good chance that they are already closed.

After Okinawa, it looks like this storm is expected to keep rolling toward Korea.

Best of luck to everyone!
Uno

 

[crownjules]

Why do I need to care about the storm right now? It's not like I need to be aware of it to make preparations. There's nothing I can do until the storm's impact is realized and aide agencies are sent in if needed.

Pretty sure foreign news services were much the same when it came to Katrina or Andrew or Hugo.

 

[Franz316]

Wow that storm is really well organized, it's a monster. Those islands are going to get the brunt of it with the Koreas up next.

 

[AmdEmAll]

Why do I need to care about the storm right now? It's not like I need to be aware of it to make preparations. There's nothing I can do until the storm's impact is realized and aide agencies are sent in if needed.

Pretty sure foreign news services were much the same when it came to Katrina or Andrew or Hugo.

Wrong.. Katrina was all over world news. And we have 50k US troops stationed right in the line of site for this hurricane... you'd think we'd care about that.

 

[PottedMeat]

looks like it's gonna slam into the side of south korea and right into pyongyang

best time to invade? :twisted:


edit: Bolaven sounds like something Prof Frink would say.

 

[AmdEmAll]

looks like it's gonna slam into the side of south korea and right into pyongyang

best time to invade? :twisted:

fire the missiles!

 

[fatpat268]

what's that storm over there by Hong Kong?

Edit: Typhoon Tembin

Some monster storms close to each other...

 

[AmdEmAll]

what's that storm over there by Hong Kong?

http://www.wunderground.com/tropical/tracking/wp201215.html

 

[marvdmartian]

Well that's a big'un. Are any of those islands inhabited?

I have friends stationed at Kadena AFB, Okinawa, who are going through this right now.

I got to experience Super Typhoon Paka, when I lived in Guam, and rode that out with no problem.

Since they go through these storms on a regular basis, most non-3rd world places out there build for it, with reinforced concrete structures, and hurricane shutters or windows designed to withstand those winds. The worst part is usually AFTER the storm, because if your power isn't underground, the winds tend to snap off power poles and tear down power lines (which is why they secure power to the grid before the damaging winds occur).

 

[DrPizza]

Are the nations over there more prepared for it than in the US? Better built structures, infrastructure prepared for such storms, lack of McMansions 3 feet above sea level, etc.?

 

[unokitty]

I have friends stationed at Kadena AFB, Okinawa, who are going through this right now.

I got to experience Super Typhoon Paka, when I lived in Guam, and rode that out with no problem.

Since they go through these storms on a regular basis, most non-3rd world places out there build for it, with reinforced concrete structures, and hurricane shutters or windows designed to withstand those winds. The worst part is usually AFTER the storm, because if your power isn't underground, the winds tend to snap off power poles and tear down power lines (which is why they secure power to the grid before the damaging winds occur).

I was stationed on an Army compound outside of Kadena. We all thought that Kadena was a pretty deluxe place. When ever we could, we would eat in their chow halls.

Another Typhoon report from the Stars and Stripes.

You are right about the buildings being built to survive the storms. The adjacent town, we called it Koza -- now, I think its called Okinawa City, only had two buildings with elevators. Most everything was made out of concrete and close to the ground.

You are also right about the storms not being a problem. The problem was that our company got locked down as soon as the island went to a Typhoon warning status.

Nothing like being in a barracks with 200 bored GIs. And, they would close our chow hall so we would have nothing to eat except C-Rations. I really, really, really hated them. Even now, I have bad memories...

Of course, as dog handlers, we worked though all of the Typhoons anyway...

Hope your friends come though it okay and don't get cooped up for too long.

Uno