Station residents dodge second storm of season
MARINE CORPS AIR STATION IWAKUNI, Japan (Aug. 8, 2007) -- Last week station residents braced for Typhoon Usagi, which made landfall early Friday, bringing rain and wind to the station.
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Aug. 8, 2007; Submitted on: 08/07/2007 08:55:26 PM ; Story ID#: 200787205526
By Lance Cpl. Chris Dobbs, MCAS Iwakuni
The storm was the second typhoon to hit the area this season. The first was Typhoon Man-yi, which grazed Iwakuni on July 14.
Usagi was moving about 17 miles per hour when it landed 12 miles east of Iwakuni at approximately 2 a.m. Friday. Sustained winds of 37 mph and a maximum gust of 54 mph were felt aboard the station during the brunt of the storm, according to station weather services personnel. The storm also dropped about an inch and a half of rain.
More than five hours after landfall – at approximately 7:30 a.m. – the “all clear” signal was given. Inspectors failed to find any damage aboard the station.
“It was a pretty soft blow,” said Navy Lt. Kevin W. Crowder, assistant facilities officer and native of Hampton, Va. “There was zero damage – just a bunch of loose leaves.”
While Usagi had little effect on station residents, many prepared according to the saying, “better safe than sorry.”
“We had three gallons of water for everyone in our family,” said Siony Bowers, a mother of two. “We bought a flashlight, radio and a ton of food.”
The Bowers’ family recently moved to station from Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, Calif., and one of the first things they were advised to do was prepare for the typhoon.
“We secured all of our large items in the garage,” said Bowers, who said that being prepared made her feel comfortable during the storm. “We found a safe place under the stairway we decided we would stay in case it got bad.”
But the winds didn’t pick up to howling speeds, and the rainfall wasn’t anything more than steady at times. The area’s mountainous terrain was likely the cause of the storm’s weakening upon landfall, according to station weather personnel.
“When a storm hits the mountains, it completely breaks up,” said Staff Sgt. Patrick A. Ozborn, Headquarters and Headquarters Squadron weather forecaster and native of Plainview, Texas.
For the second time this typhoon season, the station survived a near-miss. That doesn’t mean residents can drop their guard.
“We stay in TCCOR (Tropical Cyclone Condition of Readiness) 4 throughout the season (which lasts until Nov. 30),” said Cpl. Daniel Rodriguez, Headquarters and Headquarters Squadron weather forecaster and native of Union City, N.J. “Residents should always have a typhoon kit with essential supplies – a flashlight, radio, extra batteries. They should also stay stocked with at least a couple days worth of food.”