Typhoon Tips

Tips for Surviving a Typhoon on Okinawa

Typhoons are fairly common for Okinawa

As every seasoned Okinawan understands, Typhoons are apart of living on Okinawa. The houses, roads, drainage, power lines, and everything else is constructed with typhoons in mind.

This page will contain everything you need to know about typhoons on Okinawa, from what to pack for a typhoon kit, to where to track typhoons online. 

[Under Construction - More to be added Soon]

Read my full article, Typhoon and Hurricane Survival Tips for more advice and pictures.

Overview of a Typhoon Kit - What You Need

There are a few things one should keep on hand during typhoon season to ensure safety and an enjoyable typhoon experience. With the proper preparations, almost any storm can be fun!

List of items in a Typhoon Kit:

• Food - 5-7 days of non perishable foods such as canned food, Ramen Noodles and peanut butter
• Bottled Water - Water is not usually a problem, but just to be safe
• First Aid Kit - Always useful to have a First Aid Kit in the house
• Rain Gear - An umbrella probably wont work, so have a rain coat handy
• Flashlight and Batteries - Double check that you have a good flashlight and spare batteries
• Board Games, Movies and Cards - Sometimes you might be stuck indoors for days, so have a few things to keep you busy!
• Anything else that might be useful - Try to think if there is anything that you might need or want during a typhoon, and then make sure you get it before the next storm.

Most typhoons on Okinawa are easy to survive. It usually requires a few days of sitting around inside waiting for the winds and rain to move away. Typhoons are often a great time to catch up on TV shows or enjoy some games with family or friends.

Useful Typhoon Links

The Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC) has a very useful website that tracks and monitors all typhoon activity in the Pacific Ocean. The website has a lot of military langueage so it can be difficult to understand at first, but the information it provides is fast and accurate. I often check JTWC for when a typhoon is coming though, and to see details about the wind speed, distance away, and exactly when it will be closest.