I posted my first posts on a previous thread on this topic. So I will cut and paste it here again.
Hi all,
Long time reader (well, maybe not that long, only about 1 and 1/2 years), first time poster.
I have been a little disturbed by the growing interest in Hurricane Chasing that has been evident since lasts years storms. I live in Okinawa, Japan, and every year 6 typhoons on come close enough to warrant high wind warnings (wind speed of over 25 m/s or about 50 mph), and usually one makes a direct hit on the island with winds over 100 mph. Needless to say, people here are used to typhoons.
My first typhoon was a truly awesome experience. I am from Michigan and have seen funnel clouds, hail, and some awesome derechos, but nothing prepares you for the intensity of a tropical storm. For me, just the continous roar of the wind is enough trigger that "weather euphoria" that most people interested in severe weather seem to share.
The first strong typhoon I experienced was even more amazing. It was also almost my last. I was outside by "accident" as the eye passed, and I caught the full force of the eyewall (about 120 mph gusts) with only a North Face Gore tex jacket to protect me. I scrambled for cover, crawling to the lee of a building, as the wind was flapping my jacket strongly enough to leave bruises and making it difficult to breathe. When I reached cover I felt I was safe and would only have to wait out the strongest winds before I could trek back home. As that thought crossed my mind, a piece of debris knocked me out. I came to only 5 minutes later but with quite the headache.
My point here is that your should think very carefully about venturing into a hurricane's path. NO ONE CHASES HURRICANES!!! THEY CHASE YOU!!!
I know many people will try anyway and have unforgettable experiences. I hope you too have a wonderful and safe event. But please think very carefully before you decide to go after that cat 4 monster. Nothing can prepare you for it. And there are no escape routes, no EMTs or ambulances, no second chances if you make an error. It is very easy to wait just a little bit too long, to go just a little bit too far, and experience a horrible life-altering (or life-ending) event. I am not exaggerating in order to scare you or to be condescending, but rather speaking from experience. It is all too easy to get caught up in the awesome energy of the moment and make a regrettable decision.
I also worry about people chasing hurricanes because of the relative ease with which you can get to one. Unlike a successfully chasing a tornado, which is a combination of experience, knowledge, and luck, getting to a hurricane only requires a car with gas, time, and a hurricane. If as many people suddenly started after hurricanes as there are chasing after tornadoes, I think we could finally have our weather related first chaser deaths.
If you want to let that hurricane chase you, please do. It will be a great experience. But please follow my and other poster's advice earlier in this thread and go after a weaker storm, especially if you have never experienced a tropical storm. They are truly awe-inspiring events, but also events that require a great deal of respect.
All that being said, this is my first year with high speed internet, so I am trying to figure out ways to stream high quality live video so I can share Okinawa's typhoons with all of you this year. I hope to keep people posted about Okianwa's typhoons as long as there are people interested. Not quite as exciting as a successful tornado chase, but hopefully I can add some vicarious typhoons to all of your lives later this year.
Be Careful out There!
Part two. A reply to "How did you get caught by accident?"
I was studying at Ryukyu University and living in the dorms in Okinawa at the time (and I have since come back to Okinawa after some time in the states). There is no "chasing" per se in Okinawa. The Typhoons keep coming of their own accord.
The typhoon in question had about 100 mph sustained winds and a HUGE eye. The Joint Typhoon Warning Center calls it a "60 nm eye feature."
http://www.npmoc.navy.mil/jtwc/atcr/2002at...ap1_page29.html
The eye passed over at about midnight and of course I had to wander around for a while. The "eye feature" was over head for about 4 hours. I wandered over to a friends apartment, figuring that when the wind started to pick up I could run home before the winds got too strong. It took about 25 minutes to enter the eye, so I figured it would take that long to exit it as well. I was wrong, and got onlyhalfway home before being flattened by a strong gust. I really didn't mind at first, as it was exciting, but then realized the gravity of the situation. You have absolutely zero control during a strong typhoon or hurricane.
It was still an awesome experience, but then only reason that it wasn't more serious is because I was in Okinawa. I say this because things here are built for strong typhoons. For example, during that typhoon, we didn't lose electricity. Afterwards, while looking around, I noticed there were NO downed trees in my area. Lots of leaves, but no branches bigger than a quarter of an inch. No roofing materials, signs, or other really dangerous debris. Whatever nailed me I never found. Great for homeowners and idiots like me wandering around in typhoons, but it makes for boring video.
The local governments reported only minimal damage of less than $100,000, most of which was a internet company where somebody forgot to shut the windows and all their servers were soaked (oops!). Contrast that to the damages at Kadena Airbase: "Reports indicated that Kadena airbase suffered total damages of 2.7 million dollars for base facilities and $942,000 for military family housing." The contrast in building styles and attitudes couldn't be more different.
Here, people take typhoons rather nonchalantly. The shopping malls are usually crowded until the winds reach about 30 m/s (They report wind speed in meters per second...just double the number to get a rough estimate of MPH or multiply by 2.24 to be more accurate). There is no talk of "outer rain bands" or "embedded cells". I am looking for any indication that people have noticed tornadoes in typhoons at all. People just shut their windows, get out the candles and the UNO game, and wait. Ask most people wheter they like typhoons and they will say no. Ask why and they will say "because they are boring."! :shock:
I personally think that a chaser will die in hurricane before one does chasing a tornado. Only my opinion. I am not trying to be condescending. I think anybody who has read this thread now knows intellectually the dangers of facing a strong hurricane. My concern is somebody who has made a large investment in time and money to get the hurricane zone, expecting a cat 2 strom, and getting a cat 4 and thinking, "well...I am here anyway..."
Again, be careful and make cautious decisions. And good luck!
Have a great weekend,
Tom
