Woohoo! Getting ready for 140mph winds! *Update* Not as strong as predicted...

[AndrewR]

Typhoon Halong is bearing down on Okinawa and should smack right into us based on the latest forecast. It's a "Super Typhoon" and is supposed to have gusts in excess of 140 knots before it hits. Good thing that our house is built like a hardened shelter (like nearly everything on the island).

I just hope we don't lose power.

[see post below for update]

 

[XMan]

Originally posted by: AndrewR
Typhoon Halong is bearing down on Okinawa and should smack right into us based on the latest forecast. It's a "Super Typhoon" and is supposed to have gusts in excess of 140 knots before it hits. Good thing that our house is built like a hardened shelter (like nearly everything on the island).

I just hope we don't lose power.

Isn't a knot actually "faster" than MPH? What would that be then, 150, 160?

 

[Haircut]

Originally posted by: Xerox Man

Originally posted by: AndrewR
Typhoon Halong is bearing down on Okinawa and should smack right into us based on the latest forecast. It's a "Super Typhoon" and is supposed to have gusts in excess of 140 knots before it hits. Good thing that our house is built like a hardened shelter (like nearly everything on the island).

I just hope we don't lose power.

Isn't a knot actually "faster" than MPH? What would that be then, 150, 160?

140 knots is 161mph :Q

 

[StattlichPassat]

Originally posted by: AndrewR
Typhoon Halong is bearing down on Okinawa and should smack right into us based on the latest forecast. It's a "Super Typhoon" and is supposed to have gusts in excess of 140 knots before it hits. Good thing that our house is built like a hardened shelter (like nearly everything on the island).

I just hope we don't lose power.

Whoa, rock on!! :Q :Q Stay inside in that case and keep us posted!! When is it supposed to hit?

 

[Adul]

holy shT! man got any video or links

 

[Sepen]

I just hope we don't lose power.

Jeez, we lose power about 2-3 times a month when it is sunny here. I couldn't imagine what those type of winds would do to us. (Roch-NY)

 

[snow patrol]

Be sure to take some pics if you can!

 

[AndrewR]

Yes, knots are indeed faster than MPH, but I was trying to remember the exact data on the storm and thought I'd hedge my bets. One estimate had the storm reaching SUSTAINED winds of 140 knots with gusts exceeding 160. The last forecast has its winds at 115 knots sustained, 140 gust when it hits Okinawa.

Wind is just starting to pick up here. I need to take the satellite dish down before it blows away.

Here's a link to some more information and pictures. It's 10W - Halong, when choosing from the list in the left hand frame.

I'll take some pictures of what I can, but I'd need a place to host them since I don't have webspace.

 

[loup garou]

Woohoo, time for a Hurricane...err...Typhoon party! Hehe...

Sounds like a big one...stay safe!

 

[AU Tiger]

Typhoons are the same as Hurricanes just different ocean right? If so, make sure you go out and look around when the eye pass through. The calmness of the eye is amazing.

 

[apoppin]

I sat through Hurricane Iniki on Oahu's North Shore (it passed pretty close by to hit nearby Kauai dead on). It was no fun whatsoever.

Well, the day before it hit I surfed all-time Makapuu (20' set waves, top to bottom with clean strong offshore winds) and uncrowded Pipeline the following day . . . but it's a real nail biter during the wind and rain event.

A hurricane and typhoon are the same . . . actually, I believe a hurricane passing the dateline becomes a typhoon . . . below the equator they are known as Cyclones.

Good luck, AndrewR!

 

[etech]

Stay safe and keep your head down Andrew.

 

[BCYL]

Originally posted by: AndrewR
Yes, knots are indeed faster than MPH, but I was trying to remember the exact data on the storm and thought I'd hedge my bets. One estimate had the storm reaching SUSTAINED winds of 140 knots with gusts exceeding 160. The last forecast has its winds at 115 knots sustained, 140 gust when it hits Okinawa.

Wind is just starting to pick up here. I need to take the satellite dish down before it blows away.

Here's a link to some more information and pictures. It's 10W - Halong, when choosing from the list in the left hand frame.

I'll take some pictures of what I can, but I'd need a place to host them since I don't have webspace.

I can host them for you if you want... just PM me when you have the pics...

 

[AndrewR]

Well, the typhoon, while somewhat strong, was not what I expected. Winds reached a peak of about 127mph or thereabouts, but our house is located in a lower area among a bunch of other buildings so we didn't see the worst of it (I'm glad for that actually). Plus, the strongest winds occurred at night so there were no picture taking opportunities this time.

I had expected that we'd receive strong winds when the storm first made landfall here, but it wasn't until it went past the island (the eye, that is) that the strongest winds started going. It was kind of strange at one point because the sky was YELLOW at dusk. I've seen a green sky with tornados, but yellow was a new one on me!

I even left our satellite dish up, and it went through the storm like a little trooper. I took a cue from our neighbors who apparently never bother taking them down.

And there's another one brewing and approaching Guam right now. More windy fun!

 

[Aves]

I know a girl from high school that had never left Alabama until she joined the USMC last year. The first place she was stationed was Okinawa which is where she is now.

That must be one hell of an experience for her!

 

[Mill]

Funny you should mention that. Mobile gets rocked by hurricanes all the time. Hurricane Opal about five years ago was still a tropical storm when it hit Birmingham. Big mess.

 

[Aves]

Originally posted by: Millenium
Funny you should mention that. Mobile gets rocked by hurricanes all the time. Hurricane Opal about five years ago was still a tropical storm when it hit Birmingham. Big mess.

I remember that, I lived about 50 miles north of Birmingham and we still had a lot of areas that were flooded.