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October 24, 2018 7:32 AM   Subscribe

Supertyphoon Yutu is making landfall in the Northern Mariana islands. The official windspeed is 165 mph (265 kph) but the satellite measurements suggest higher.

Saipan (population 50,000) and Tinian (population 3,000), American commonwealths, are the two populated islands most immediately in its path.

Tinian was the launching point for the aircraft carrying the atomic bombs to Japan in 1945.
posted by dances_with_sneetches (11 comments total) 13 users marked this as a favorite
 
This does not directly affect as many people as did some other recent typhoons/hurricanes, but I felt attention should be paid. Pacific storms are more poorly graded in intensity. They don't usually have recon flights and satellite estimates need to be made to estimate wind velocity. Probable actual velocity is 180 mph and 902 mb.

Although the equivalent of Category 5 is not unusual, it is not that common to have Category 5 strength at landfall.

The news blackout is appalling. There is barely a news item within the last several hours. Here is one from accuweather.

Wunderground discussion is not bad to follow (except when there is U.S. mainland involvement and then a lot of low-knowledge cranks flood the discussion.)
posted by dances_with_sneetches at 8:02 AM on October 24, 2018 [7 favorites]


Thank you.
posted by bcd at 8:13 AM on October 24, 2018 [1 favorite]


I went through Cyclone Pam in Vanuatu (another Category 5) and it was an utter horrorshow. There's not much you can do except hunker down and hope for the best. Good luck, Saipan and Tinian!
posted by orrnyereg at 8:13 AM on October 24, 2018 [1 favorite]


yes thanks for this post, I hadn't heard anything about this storm yet. I imagine those island communities are quite vulnerable to such storms, low-lying etc., its not a local problem, its that weather bell that keeps chiming a warning for us all...
posted by supermedusa at 8:14 AM on October 24, 2018 [1 favorite]


Southern Saipan and Tinian are inside the eye now. The capital city (Capitol Hill) will be receiving the worst brunt of the wind, both the northern eyewall and the forward motion.
posted by dances_with_sneetches at 8:58 AM on October 24, 2018


I've got family there. They're marking themselves safe on Facebook, so that means communications are still working at least.

If I get anything more, such as videos or first-hand accounts, I'll share them somehow.
posted by Buck Alec at 11:04 AM on October 24, 2018 [5 favorites]


thanks Buck Alec I hope your family stays safe!
posted by supermedusa at 11:07 AM on October 24, 2018


I'm wishing your family the best.

Here's a news story about the complete disappearance of one of the Hawaiian islands (an 11-acre atoll) after Hurricane Walaka. (Category 5, 160 mph).
posted by dances_with_sneetches at 11:26 AM on October 24, 2018


ABC Australia has updates from an hour ago. Winds reported to be 290kph.
posted by SecretAgentSockpuppet at 10:29 PM on October 24, 2018


Update in case anybody's still reading: family are safe and well, Saipan is trashed. They're saying they're looking at 4-5 months without electricity, 500 utility poles were felled.

This is a photo my uncle took of a cellular comms tower snapped in two.

posted by Buck Alec at 2:05 PM on October 26, 2018


You may want to check your link, Buck Alec.
posted by wallabear at 9:28 AM on October 27, 2018


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