Posted on 08/27/2006 8:41:03 PM PDT by HAL9000
KHON TV -
Super typhoon Ioke is barreling towards Wake Island
It's big and packing quite a punch. Super typhoon Ioke is barreling towards Wake Island.
The massive storm is churning around in the central pacific. It's packing winds of more than 160 miles per hour, a category five storm.
Roy Matsuda from the Central Pacific Hurricane Center says, "it is projected to go along this track toward wake island as you can see and to reach Wake Island approximately Wednesday afternoon our time within 13 nautical miles."
And because of that a team from Hawaii will head to Wake Island to help evacuate about 200 people before super typhoon Ioke hits.
Military and civilian personnel on Wake Island support US pacific command operations. The base also serves as an emergency airfield.
Two c-17 planes are scheduled to leave tomorrow morning to pick up the evacuees.
We'll have a videographer heading with the team to Wake Island, and will bring you a full report when they return to Hawaii.
KHNL TV -
Hickam Airman To Evacuate Hundreds From Wake Island
(KHNL) Two C-17 Globemaster III aircraft will depart from Hickam within 24 hours to evacuate approximately 200 military, DoD civilians and contractors from Wake Island.
Hickam Air Force Base C-17 Crewmembers are preparing to rescue those working on Wake Island.
Hurricane Ioke is expected to reach Wake Island within 72 hours; the evacuation mission will need to be completed prior to the expected storm surge.
Wake Island supports U.S. Pacific Command major regional taskings. The base provides facilities, vehicles, aerospace ground equipment and aviation fuel to sustain aircraft for combat operations.
It also provides for the bed down of forces and emergency divert airfield operations.
Some tour groups offer treks of WWII historical sites and aircraft.
According to the Joint Typhoon Warning Center, Hurricane Ioke has been reclassified as Super Typhoon Ioke.
Skirted around Super Typhoon Omar in 1992 off of Korea. Not fun. We were taking waves over the bridge, which was 40 feet above the waterline.
PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HONOLULU HI 1000 AM HST FRI AUG 25 2006...HURRICANE IOKE BECOMES FIFTH CATEGORY 5 HURRICANE IN CENTRAL PACIFIC AND UNOFFICIALLY HOLD THE LOWEST SEA LEVEL PRESSURE RECORD IN THE CENTRAL PACIFIC...
EARLIER TODAY HURRICANE IOKE STRENGTHENED TO CATEGORY 5 INTENSITY WITH WINDS ESTIMATED TO BE NEAR 160 MPH. THIS IS THE FIFTH CATEGORY 5 HURRICANE ON RECORD IN THE CENTRAL PACIFIC...AND THE FIRST ONE SINCE 1994. IOKE IS THE FIRST STORM TO DEVELOP WITHIN THE CENTRAL PACIFIC AND ACHIEVE CATEGORY 5 STATUS. JOHN...EMILIA AND GILMA MOVED IN FROM THE EASTERN PACIFIC BEFORE STRENGTHENING...WHILE PATSY CAME IN FROM THE WEST PACIFIC.
IT MUST BE NOTED THAT TROPICAL CYCLONE RECORDS IN THE CENTRAL PACIFIC BEFORE THE EARLY 1960S ARE INCOMPLETE.
THE TOP STRONGEST STORMS ON RECORD IN THE CENTRAL PACIFIC ARE
1. HURRICANE PATSY - CATEGORY 5 - 150KT/175MPH - SEPTEMBER 1959
2. HURRICANE JOHN - CATEGORY 5 - 150KT/175MPH - AUGUST 1994
3. HURRICANE EMILIA- CATEGORY 5 - 140KT/160MPH - JULY 1994
4. HURRICANE GILMA - CATEGORY 5 - 140KT/160MPH - JULY 1994
5. HURRICANE IOKE - CATEGORY 5 - 140KT/160MPH - AUGUST 2006
6. HURRICANE RICK - CATEGORY 4 - 125KT/145MPH - SEPTEMBER 1985
7. HURRICANE INIKI - CATEGORY 4 - 125KT/145MPH - SEPTEMBER 1992
8. HURRICANE FABIO - CATEGORY 4 - 120KT/140MPH - AUGUST 1988
AT THE SAME TIME...THE ESTIMATED SURFACE PRESSURE FROM SATELLITE ANALYSIS WAS 921MB OR 27.20 INCHES.
WITH GILMA AND JOHN THERE WAS AIR FORCE RECONNAISANCE AIRCRAFT THAT MEASURED SEA LEVEL PRESSURE. GILMA BOTTOMED OUT AT 926MB OR 27.35 INCHES AND JOHN REACHED 929MB OR 27.43 INCHES. HURRICANE INIKI WAS AT 938MB OR 27.70 INCHES AT ITS PEAK.
NASH
Super Typhoons are no fun. I spent three days trapped indoors by Super Typhoon Wynne in 1980.
They didn't evacuate us, because honestly, how do you evacuate the entire island of Okinawa? They just told us not to come to work.
That's a dead center hit. They will completely evacuate the island won't they?
Jeez, they need to deploy chaff.
Huh?
LOL!
It's still a few days away, so it may not be a direct hit. But it doesn't have much shelter, and it looks like the storm surge could cover the place.
The main feature there is the runway.
There won't be anything left there after this thing passes over.
Johnston Atoll...Johnston, the main island, is 1000 yards long and 200 yards wide. The deed will contain use restrictions because the atoll was used by the Defense Department for storage of chemical munitions and as a missile test site in the 1950's and 60's. The island can be used as a residence or vacation getaway but it does not have utilities or a water supply. The airstrip and the golf course are closed.
Sounds like a great place to live! Why don't we send Ahmadinejad? He's into missile testing.
The highest elevation on that tiny island is 6 meters.
Is Wake Island a manmade or naturally made Island? Very odd shape.
Clearly Bush's fault.
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