TCCOR

From June to the end of November, we are in Typhoon Season.  Typhoons are basically hurricanes but they just call them Typhoons in this part of the world.  (I am sure there are some meteorological differences, but from what I saw it was pretty much a hurricane).  

We have been through one Typhoon since we got here while we were still in our hotel room.  It was Typhoon Jelawat and it ended up being the most destructive of the entire season so far.  They can guess how long it will last but there is no way of knowing for sure because hitting the Island can change the storm dynamic.  I heard there was one a month before we got here that raged for 60 hours straight.  Jelawat only lasted about 12 hours and it did more damage than the 60 hour one.  

They have a system in place to help you be informed about Typhoons and how soon one is to hitting us.  It is called TCCOR or Tropical Cyclone Condition of Readiness.  Here are the stages.  

TCCOR 4 – Destructive winds of 57 mph (50 kt, 93 km/h) or greater are possible within 72 hours.

TCCOR 3 – Destructive winds of 57 mph (50 kt, 93 km/h) or greater are possible within 48 hours.

TCCOR 2 – Destructive winds of 57 mph (50 kt, 93 km/h) or greater are anticipated within 24 hours.

TCCOR 1 – Destructive winds of 57 mph (50 kt, 93 km/h) or greater are anticipated within 12 hours

TCCOR 1 Caution – Destructive winds of 57 mph (50 kt, 93 km/h) or greater are anticipated within 12 hours. Actual winds are 39 to 56 mph (34 to 49 knots, 63 to 91 km/h).

TCCOR 1 Emergency – Actual winds of 57 mph (50 kt, 93 km/h) or greater are occurring.

TCCOR 1 Recovery – Destructive winds of 57 mph (50 kt, 93 km/h) or greater are no longer occurring. Actual winds are 39 to 56 mph (34 to 49 knots, 63 to 91 km/h).

Storm Watch – The typhoon is moving away but the base is still feeling some effects. Hazardous conditions may exist due to storm damage. In some cases the storm could return to Okinawa, so stay alert.

All Clear – Hazardous conditions and winds are no longer present. Return to normal duties. All Clear is announced when all hazards have been cleared.

I have seen videos of Jelawat blowing cars clear across a parking lot, as well as dumpsters.  It flattened satellite dishes into pancakes.  Basically when you hit TCCOR 1 Emergency, you are stuck in your house until TCCOR 1 Recovery happens.  The All Clear is never 100% because as soon as we are done with Storm Watch then we hop back to TCCOR 4.  We are in TCCOR 4 through the entire Typhoon season.  That means we are always within 72 hours of a Typhoon possibly hitting.  

They recommend you have food and water to sustain your family for 4 days at all times during the entire season.  Being on Kadena has been really nice because everything was build with Typhoons in mind so we only were out of power for about 10 min during the storm, while people that lived off base were without power or water for up to 2 days.  

 Marcus took a picture of the jungle outside our hotel room when we first got there.

This is the same part of the jungle after Jelawat hit.  The tree line had also shrunk down by like 3 feet because all the tops were ripped off.

Once I hit 37 weeks they highly recommend that I ride out any Typhoons at the hospital once we hit TCCOR 1 Caution.  The Typhoon season should be all finished by the time the baby comes which will be really nice.

There is a Typhoon out at see that is like 200 miles from us and isn't projected to hit us directly yet, but the outskirts of the storm have made it rainy here and has made the ocean unsafe to swim in.  I am really hoping for some nicer weather by the end of the week so we can go to the beach again!  I need some sun therapy!