Typhoon Season 2012

Typhoon season (June - November) started quiet enough, being unmentionable until storms 5 and 6, Mawar and Guchol, came to visit June 5, then 18.

Even though they were the first storms of the season to actually hit typhoon status, Mawar only achieved  TCCOR-3, but still managed to skim that board from over the wall to land right beside my car!
Guchol gave us cause to be concerned heading our way with Super Typhoon expectations, but it moved through at a simple TCCOR-1 status, never even putting us into "Caution" or higher..... But, it did make for some fun wave watching!!

 

When a 'big one' is approaching, by the time TCCOR-1 Caution is announced, its time to make sure everything outside is secured.

For us, that means bringing in the table and chairs (SO thankful they fold up!!), plants, grill, and 'stuff' from the balconies.

Of course, with no garage, that means it all has to come inside....

 

On advice from our neighbors who learned the hard way, its best to tie open the balcony door to save it from getting ripped off its hinges or even the slats being pulled out by the nails!!! 

So, our first real "fun" came by the name Typhoon Bolaven. On Saturday and Sunday, August 25 and 26, she locked us down and whipped up gusts as high as 161 mph!!!!
And as you can see on the satellite picture, we were afraid she was bringing a friend!!! Thankfully, that turned out not to be the case.

 

Once we were "all clear" and able to emerge from our concrete bunkers, we were greeted with this "potty barge" right out in front of our place!!! It's a fishing dock, usually anchored out in deeper waters, that had been moved into the 'secure' breaker area and tied up to the fishing dock here. Evidently, not tied securely enough!!
All the 'brown' in this picture is actually run-off from the canal just down from us!!

 

And two weekends later, September 13 and 14, Typhoon Sanba decided Okinawa was a great place to visit!!
One thing about it, she sure made for some colorful radar pictures!!!

 

Notice, they've covered the potty and reconnected docks in preparation... Only time will tell if they were successful!

She sure made for an ominous looking evening as she started to make her appearance! 

Sanba's eye was half the size of our little island!!! 

It's crazy that the locals still get out in these storms!!! I couldn't help but wonder where they were going when most businesses actually did close..... Although, the bar next door to us was open....

Ok, so not just locals were crazy.....
(Don't worry, I didn't let him stay out there but a minute!!) 

Instead of window fountains (see  http://wanderingweavers.blogspot.jp/search?q=window+fountains) we had door fountains!! But, living in a Japanese apartment, our entry was made for this (tile entry, then raised floor) all the water stayed right there, then drained back out once the storm turned.

One thing about it, post-typhoon waves are incredible!!!

Our season went out with a bang two weekends later---- did you catch that?? Three typhoons, every other weekEND..... Anyway, Mother Nature showed her power once again with Typhoon Jelawat.....