Typhoon Fanapi

Photo Diary: 5th October 2010. It's early October and it looks like Ishigaki will largely escape the typhoon season this year. The only typhoon to hit the island so far this year was 'Fanapi' which made landfall on Saturday the 18th of September. Given that it was my second typhoon on the island I decided to brave the weather and take a stroll into town in the hope of documenting the uglier side of the island's climate. Never let it be said that I only upload photos of Ishigaki's beautiful beaches and scenery on this site – in this article I'm going to be showing you the reality of the island's weather during a typhoon.

 

Preparing for a typhoon feels rather like Christmas Eve food shopping in that everybody rushes down to the supermarket to buy far too much food and drink, most of which they will never actually need. Standing in the queue of the local Max Value I felt like I'd missed some vital information on the weather forecast given the overflowing shopping baskets of the Obasan's who were standing around me.

We're all familiar with the phrase 'the quiet before the storm', and nothing could better describe the atmosphere which swept across the island on Friday evening. I took a ride down to the Southern Gate Bridge and from its central-point which overlooks the city I was treated one of the most stunning sunsets that I've ever witnessed since arriving on the island almost two years ago. Later on that evening I stood on my balcony admiring the stars on what was a virtually clear and still night before finally turning in for bed; it was genuinely hard to believe that the storm which I was tracking via an online weather feed was really right on our doorstep.

The weather forecast's predictions were proved correct on Saturday morning when I awoke to the sound of waves of wind beating against the outside of my apartment – it had arrived. I mooched around the house for a couple of hours before finally deciding to venture outside to take some video and still shots. I was under no misapprehensions about staying dry so wrapped-up my camera equipment and dressed myself in swimming shorts and a thin tank-top.

 

Typhoon stroll

As I walked down to the coast I noticed that some banana trees had already fallen foul to the elements and small objects were starting to fly through the air at alarming speeds. Gazing through the mist being generated by the waves which were hitting the reef I saw some truly incredible waves in the distance that were far bigger than any which I'd witnessed before. Unfortunately I was unable to get a decent photo but I later learned that waves of between 10 and 12 meters were measured off Ishigaki's coast. Still, even these would be dwarfed by the 30m tsunami which hit the island in 1771, but that's another story.

As I walked into town the weather began to worsen and before long I was having difficulty finding anywhere where I could use my camera without exposing it to the mix of rain and sea water which was being sprayed across the island. I was surprised by the number of cars, and even bicycles which were still on the road, but everybody seemed to be moving with real purpose as shops were closed and storm protection was put in place.

Eventually things got beyond a joke and I decided that I should begin making my way back home. My drowned-rat appearance seemed to be a source of amusement for many drivers, however, about 15 minutes from home the door of a 4WD flung open in front of me and the driver shouted 'Get In!'. I'm not sure if I'll ever get the chance to thank the kind Japanese couple who picked me up again, but if the looks on their faces are anything to go by, they probably won't forget me in a hurry.

Full force

At around 9.00pm the full-force of the storm was really starting to kick-in and I could no longer resist the temptation to go outside. I stood on the 2nd-floor walkway which connects my block to the adjacent apartment block and faced the wind. Although I wouldn't advise doing the same, I have to confess that this was a rather exhilarating experience. I hung onto the wall while laughing like a madman as the full force of the typhoon bore-down upon me. I'd seriously compare the level of entertainment to being on a roller coaster, with the bonus of not having to queue up for an hour beforehand.

Those who have experienced severe typhoons, hurricanes or cyclones, will know what I mean when I say that the wind seems to arrive in waves. 30 seconds of extremely strong wind is followed by a slight lull, and as the storm strengthens each wave seems slightly more intense than the last. It was during one of these phases when a huge banging sound began outside.  Peering out from my bedroom window I saw my balcony's guard rail being violently buckled by the wind. It had been ripped from the mounting which connects it to the wall which I share with my neighbour, and at one point I was convinced that it would be torn completely from the apartment.

Power cut

At around 12.00pm, just as I thought that I was going to escape the typhoon virtually unscathed, my apartment block and much of the area which I live in lost power. I was slightly surprised to see that I'd also lost running water, however I later discovered that my apartment's water supply is coupled to the power supply. Reception to the TV had been lost a few hours before (hence why most islanders ensure that they have a battery-powered radio at hand) so I simply lit some candles which I'd prepared earlier and continued to read. Then came the heat.

The problem with Ishigaki is that even during a typhoon the island can remain uncomfortably warm. Although the temperature had dropped to around 28-30°C, a lack of air conditioning or fans coupled with the heat from burning candles along with the fact that I couldn't open any windows quickly turned my bedroom into a sauna. I blew out the candles and boredom set in. In the end I resorted to lying on the tiled-floor of my kitchen which turned out to be the only spot in the apartment where the heat was bearable.

Eventually I retired to bed only to wake up to the realization that the power had yet to return. At this point it struck me that stocking up on frozen meatballs etc for the typhoon probably wasn't the best of ideas – what on earth was I thinking of? I'd always been told that power cuts are likely and yet the gas supply should remain. Clearly cup noodles and freeze-dried food is the key.

Sure enough the contents of the freezer were well on their way to being completely defrosted so I decided to make a huge curry/stew which contained almost all the perishable food which I owned. This actually turned out to be far better than I expected, and it meant that I didn't need to cook for at least another 24 hours.

Just as I finished cooking my monster curry, both power and water were restored and I decided to once again venture into town, this time to check out the aftermath.

Aftermath

Several years ago a typhoon hit Ishigaki island which every islander remembers vividly. It is often referred to as a 'once in 25 years' or even 'once in 50 years' typhoon. It inflicted huge damage on the island, with areas such as Kabira being without power for around 10 days and as people ventured outside they were greeted with sights such as cars on top of cars and even roofs on top of neighbours' roofs. There is no accurate record of the speed of the wind as the airport's anemometer was broken as speeds reached 70m/s (around 156mph), and this wasn't even at the height of the storm.

By such standards the damage caused by typhoon 'Fanapi' was rather tame. Trees had been uprooted and in many cases blown fair distances, but aside from a few power cuts and failed traffic lights, the island had weathered the storm and life was returning to usual. After a single night of violent weather the storm had left the island and was heading on towards Taiwan.

During the typhoon a maximum gust of 63.5m/s (142mph) was recorded on Hateruma island, which is Japan's southernmost point. On Ishigaki the strongest gust recorded was around 52 m/s.

 

Worried about typhoons?

If you're thinking of visiting Ishigaki during the typhoon season (which runs from around mid-June to mid-October) then it's possible that you could be unlucky enough to experience a typhoon. If this happens then you can expect to be stuck indoors until the typhoon passes and many outdoor activities, such as snorkeling, diving and even sightseeing, will clearly be out of the question. Naturally both flights and ferries will be subject to cancellations (with ferry services to outer island being particularly vulnerable).

During an average year around 2 typhoons hit the island directly, which means that you are relatively unlikely to encounter one during a 1-2 week break. It's also worth remembering that typhoons can often pass very quickly and it can be 'business as usual' on the island within a couple days.

Essentially the typhoon risk is simply something that you'll have to accept if you want to visit this beautiful part of the world during the summer months. You'll probably be fine...but the weather makes no guarantees.