Super Typhoon!

Super Typhoon Melor is headed toward Japan! Right now it is 500 miles SW of Okinawa and is headed NE but should miss us. It is Tuesday morning here and we should be in the clear or be under water by Wednesday!

As you can see, Okinawa is the southernmost island, so when you look at a map, we are almost as close to Tai Pei as we are to mainland Japan.

From May to November, Okinawa stays in a TCCOR-4 zone. Yesterday the alert was raised to TCCOR-3. Here's the Tropical Cyclone Condition of Readiness scale:

TCCOR 4 - Destructive winds of 50 kts or greater are possible/probable/anticipated within 72 hours.

TCCOR 3 - Destructive winds of 50 kts or greater are possible/probable/anticipated within 48 hours.

TCCOR 2 - Destructive winds of 50 kts or greater are possible/probable within 24 hours.

TCCOR 1 - Destructive winds of 50 kts or greater are possible/probable within 12 hours.

TCCOR 1 Caution - Winds of 34 - 49 kts are occurring at a particular installation.

TCCOR 1 Emergency - Destructive winds of 50 kts or greater are occurring at a particular installation.

TCCOR RECOVERY - Can be used by TCCOR Authority to designate a period of time after the passage of a typhoon when work and survey crews are sent out to determine the extent of damage and to establish safe zones around hazards (downed power lines, unstable structures…). Until the Recovery process is declared complete and either ALL CLEAR or STORM WATCH has been declared by the installation TCCOR Authority, the general base population would normally be asked to remain indoors.

TCCOR STORM WATCH - Although the destructive winds have subsided, or are currently no longer forecast to occur, there is still a possibility of danger due the proximity of the storm and due to unforecast changes in storm track and/or strength. Personnel should stay alert, continue to monitor television and radio announcements, a rapid change to TCCOR conditions could occur.

TCCOR ALL CLEAR - The storm is over and not forecast to return (may be declared by installation Commanders).

We're all set with diapers, formula, water, toilet paper, flashlights, food, etc. Of course Melor will most likely miss us and this is just a precaution, but you never know. Apparently one missed us last week, and we didn't even know. But now the cable company has "TC-3" in the corner of every channel, so Corey and I finally figured it out and people were talking at work yesterday. Corey said the parking was crazy at the commissary because people were stocking up and because our new BX opened (2nd largest in the USAF now - Ramstein just opened the largest) and people are checking it out.

By the way, the new BX is awesome and almost makes me feel like I am in the US. It is actually like a huge Macy's. Huge Coach section, Clinque, Estee Lauder, Martha Stewart then there is a Bath & Body Works with aromatherapy (not usually at the BX), huge Hallmark section complete with Christmas ornaments and tons of other stuff. The selection is much better than the old BX here and makes the BX at Lackland look like the Dollar Tree. Speaking of that, I am excited to go to the 100 Yen stores here, but I digress.

Keep your fingers crossed that Melor keeps curving to the east!!!!