How to spend a typhoon on okinawa remote island

Typhoon arrives for the first time of this season – Hagpiet –

This year, it was the first time in the history of observation that no typhoon occurred in July.
Usually after the rainy season, between June and October, there are about three typhoons that are large enough to have the stormy area and the ferry service is canceled all day long.

When the arrival of the typhoon is delayed, the seawater temperature rises too much and coral bleaching progresses.
Now it is about time for a typhoon for corals.

If a typhoon comes, many activities have to be canceled, that means, people can take a little rest.
A lot of business is closed and the family spends time in a house with shutters shut down.
It’s a bit disappointing for the children who just started their summer vacation, but the typhoon came in the beginning of August.

Since it was a typhoon that occurred near the Yaeyama Islands, it seemed to be small in size at first, but a storm warning was also issued, and it was a typhoon that remained after the passage.

Typhoon Countermeasures in Okinawa

In Okinawa, many typhoons with strong influences pass every year.
If such a typhoon passes through the ordinary town of Honshu, the rain and wind will be so strong that people’s lives will be destroyed.

Since typhoons do not come suddenly, we can prepare the following things in advance.

①Stockpiling of food and drinking water

Originally, there are no shops on the island where I live, so I stock up daily foods and store them.
However, in a few days of a typhoon, ships and planes will be canceled and logistics will also stop.
People are hoarding, so the perishable grocery store in a supermarket will be empty.
When a typhoon arrives, the boat stops, we can’t do shopping, and there are some risks that make the refrigerator uncool due to a power outage.
We will store enough food and drinking water for about a week.

②Close the shutter

Living in a traditional wooden one-story red tiled house, our house has a large window on every wall and a wooden shutter to cover it.
We don’t know what will fly in the strong wind, so close the shutters to protect the house before the rain gets heavy.
When we close the shutter, the room becomes like a night, and we lose the sense of time.
At night, even while sleeping, there is a moment when you feel that the shutters are shaking due to the strong wind and the whole house is blown away.

③Rollover measures

Fill the gasoline of our private car as much as possible and make it heavy, and then put it on the fence to prevent it from rolling over.
It is said that it is good to fill the washing machine placed outdoors with water as well.
Tilt your bicycle from the beginning to the side, and put away your clothes rack.
It is also important to harvest island bananas and some ripe fruits before the typhoon.

④Blackout measures

It is not uncommon for a typhoon to cause a power outage.
Put the hand charger, candle, battery, etc. in a place where you can easily see them.
You also need to have food that you can eat without electricity. (My home is a kettle and the stove is gas.)
In last year’s Typhoon No. 19, from the night to the morning of the next day, electricity and the Internet became common, and I had a time when I could not contact outside the house at all.
It seems that some people prepare to light candles and enjoy card games with their families.

Summary

As of this writing, the center of the typhoon has already passed, but strong winds and rain continue.
Originally, summer gymnastics was scheduled to start from today, but the gymnastics was discontinued.
Tonight, we were planning an outdoor movie screening, but it was postponed due to a typhoon.
Due to the effects of typhoons, the events we were preparing were often canceled or postponed, and the cancellation of ships and planes made it impossible to carry out the planned movements on schedule.
In some cases, there is economic damage such as damage to a part of the house when the typhoon passes, but by making use of the wisdom of the people of Okinawa living with the typhoon, it is possible to minimize the damage.

I think there will be some typhoons this year, but I hope that no major damage will occur.

〈Typhoon information〉http://www.tenki.jp/bousai/typhoon/
〈Ishigakijima Meteorological Observatory〉https://www.jma-net.go.jp/ishigaki/bosai/yaeyama_typhoon.html
〈Disaster prevention measures〉http://www.jma.go.jp/jma/kishou/know/ame_chuui/ame_chuui_p10.html