Direct hit coming from super typhoon Ma-On

Image from Japan Meteorological Agency

In a few hours, we will get a direct hit from super typhoon Ma-On with a max wind speed of 115 knots. It's the first direct hit I've been in in awhile. I wonder if we should go close the storm doors...

UPDATE: Tropical Storm Risk (TSR) just downgraded it from a category 5 (maximum) to a category 4. Peak winds at 115 kts or 130 mph. It is projected to still be a category 4 when it hits Tokyo. We just closed our storm doors and gathered our candles.

UPDATE2: TSR is showing a rather different path than the Japan Meteorological Agency. Odd. JMA shows a direct hit, whereas TSR shows it veering a bit north...

UPDATE3:

Japan Today
"If it continues to move as projected, it will be of the most powerful category among typhoons that have landed on eastern Japan in the past 10 years or so," an agency official said, warning of heavy rains, strong winds, mudslides and sea surges.

16:51 JST: 1331 homes have been evacuated in my prefecture, Chiba. Several hundred homes have been evacuated in Sakura, the next town over.

16:58 JST: Typhoon just turned South and is headed directly for us now. House has started to leak water and it's not even here yet...

17:20 JST: 108,000 locations have lost power in Shizuoka.

17:43 JST: Lost power for a minute but it's back up again. My PHS wireless network card shows no network.

1,387 homes evacuated in Chiba, my prefecture. I'm on higher ground so probably no risk of flooding...

16:32 JST: Feels like it's over. That wasn't bad. I guess it's really the flooding that's causing damage. I guess we were lucky. Sorry to worry anyone.

18:50 JST: Chiba is warned that there may be some fukikaeshi or "blow back" still.

I took a video of the trees dancing in front of our house in "super night mode". (800K QT MOV)

13 Comments

01. Steph - Oct 09, 2004 - 15:39

I was going to say that closing the storm doors sounded like a good idea.

02. enoch choi - Oct 09, 2004 - 17:05

God bless your family...

03. Steph - Oct 09, 2004 - 17:31

keeping my fingers crossed for you.

04. Joi Ito - Oct 09, 2004 - 17:45

We only have a well with a pump so I better stash some water...

05. chris holland - Oct 09, 2004 - 18:02

* valmont thinks joi is out to stash some water
*o* SignOff JoiIto: #joiito (Connection timed out)
O SH*T
heh
Sat Oct 9 02:01:16 PDT 2004

06. boo - Oct 09, 2004 - 18:11

TSR says it's category 2 now. I'm in Kanazawa. A bit noisy but nothing like the monster super-storm I was expecting.

07. Joi Ito - Oct 09, 2004 - 18:37

Yeah. I think it lost a lot of power when it got closer to us. I think Shizuoka got hit pretty hard, but not nearly as bad as they expected I think.

08. MostlyVowels - Oct 09, 2004 - 19:59

Your (silent) movie when played, seemed full of sound and fury, but I heard nothing ;-)

09. Steph - Oct 09, 2004 - 20:00

I got sound on the movie -- thought it pretty impressive!

10. Andrew - Oct 09, 2004 - 21:53

Our prayers are with you.

11. Randy Charles Morin - Oct 09, 2004 - 22:09

Sounds like a real rush! The updated play-by-play is awesome. Love the video.

12. Juche - Oct 09, 2004 - 22:18

Those super-night mode cameras are reportedly getting recalled cuz they can see through underwear...

13. Boris Anthony - Oct 10, 2004 - 01:40

re: the dancing trees:
Isn't that a scene from Kurosawa's "Throne of Blood"?

Glad it's over and all seems well. 130mph winds is not a joke... :(

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