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Wake Island evacuates as super typhoon bears down
Honolulu Statr Bulletin ^
| 8/29/06
| Gregg K. Kakesako
Posted on 08/29/2006 7:28:42 PM PDT by conservative in nyc
For the first time in nearly five decades, this tiny coral atoll in the middle of the Pacific, where its highest point barely rises to about 18 feet, has been evacuated.
The reason is Super Typhoon Ioke, whose eye is aiming straight at Wake Island, home to an American base. The fragile atoll is expected to be pummeled by gusts of up to 160 knots and waves of up to 40 feet.
"This is the most excitement I have seen in years," said Bill Wilson, one of 188 residents who were evacuated by the Air Force and flown to Honolulu in two C-17 Globemaster cargo jets yesterday.
"It's a shocker how this storm has grown so big and stayed so strong," said Wilson, who supervises fuel operations and lives in a wooden duplex near the beach. He stored his personal items, including a computer and DVD player, in plastic garbage bags. Like many of his counterparts, he hopes his belongings will survive Ioke.
Rosie Noggle and her husband, Richard, are among a handful of people who actually consider Wake Island their home. She said a longtime resident told her that the last time people were forced to flee by a storm was in 1957.
"I am told that people weren't evacuated until after the typhoon hit," said Noggle, site administrator for the civilian contractor hired by the Air Force.
"There was a lot of damage, and no one was allowed to come back for three months until after the island was restored," she said.
Her company, Chugach Support Services in Anchorage, Alaska, has 149 Thai nationals and 33 Americans on its payroll.
WAKE ISLAND was captured by the Japanese following the Dec. 7, 1941, attack on Pearl Harbor, and later recaptured by American forces. It is located about 2,300 miles west of the main Hawaiian islands, at about the same latitude as Kona on the Big Island. The islands of Peale, Wilkes and Wake make up the atoll, with a runway the dominating feature on Wake Island.
Residents and Air Force personnel stationed here were warned three days ago that they might have to evacuate, and they were ready when two C-17s landed early yesterday.
Henry Lau, National Weather Service forecaster, said last night that "it's too close to call if the eye will directly hit Wake or miss it."
Typically, the eye of a typhoon is about 20 to 25 miles in diameter, according to the National Weather Service. Forecasters have predicted the eye could come within three miles of the atoll tomorrow.
Last night, Ioke was 60 miles east of Wake and rated as a Category 5 storm. Winds were recorded at 130 knots, with gusts up to 160 knots.
The Air Force said Wake, where the highest point is only 18 feet above sea level, could endure waves as high as 18 feet, with surges up to 40 feet.
The evacuees were taken to Hickam Air Force Base on the two C-17s operated by Air Force and Hawaii Air National Guard crews. Both cargo jets were configured to carry 104 passengers for the four-hour flight.
The C-17s left Hickam Air Force Base just before 3 a.m. yesterday. On Wake Island they were on the ground only for 90 minutes, long enough to load the evacuees and a small pallet of luggage.
Master Sgt. Reginald Solomon, an administrative contract officer who lives in a concrete structure about 100 yards from the beach, said all he was allowed to take was one bag and one carry-on.
"I don't know what's going to happen when the typhoon hits," said Solomon, who has lived here for almost a year. "These buildings are old."
"It's good to be leaving," he said. "It eases my peace of mind."
TOPICS: News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: hurricane; hurricaneioke; hurricaneseason2006; ioke; supertyphoon; supertyphoonioke; typhoonioke; wakeisland
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To: HAL9000; kingu
kingu posted this IR photo of Ioke on the Ernesto thread. Wake Island is the black dot 2 squares right and 2 squares down from the upper left corner:
As of the last update, the storm was 130nm from Wake Island, and moving in its general direction. It looks like Wake will take a direct hit.
To: HAL9000; kingu
FYI - the URL auto updates, so the current track (0000Zulu on 8/31, which I think is 8PM Eastern today) is in Post 18.
kingu got Wake Island reported speed readings from somewhere (I don't know where, since there has been no NWS METAR update at Wake Airport (PWAK) since 8/28): 43 knot winds with 55 knot gusts. Was that from estimated or buoy data?
To: dogcaller
At least Wake is above sea level You might have to revise that in a couple of hours. It'll be interesting to see what is left of Wake island after being hit by the eye of a Cat 4 or Cat 5 hurricane. It'll also be interesting to see how long these instruments last.
43
posted on
08/30/2006 9:24:46 PM PDT
by
burzum
(Despair not! I shall inspire you by charging blindly on!--Minsc, BG2)
To: conservative in nyc
High-resolution Infrared image 0203Z I'm getting a headache just looking at the eyewall on this thing.
I found some choppy animation of the storm. Judging from the last few frames, it looks like the eye will pass over Wake Island.
44
posted on
08/30/2006 9:41:11 PM PDT
by
HAL9000
(Happy 10th Anniversary FreeRepublic.com - Est. Sept. 23, 1996 - Thanks Jim!)
To: AFPhys
Holy crap.
Talk about a perfect eye.
45
posted on
08/30/2006 9:47:03 PM PDT
by
Howlin
To: burzum
Yeah, a hurricane's definitely coming to Wake. Tropical-storm force winds are already there. The barometric pressure 100nm away from the center of the storm is already lower than Ernesto's center - and rapidly dropping.
To: HAL9000
47
posted on
08/30/2006 10:31:51 PM PDT
by
STARWISE
(They (Rats) think of this WOT as Bush's war, not America's war-RichardMiniter, respected OBL author)
To: conservative in nyc
48
posted on
08/30/2006 10:48:13 PM PDT
by
HAL9000
(Happy 10th Anniversary FreeRepublic.com - Est. Sept. 23, 1996 - Thanks Jim!)
To: HAL9000
It's still working (but updating about a half hour after the real time). Last reported sustained winds were at 61.81 kts, with gusts to 77.75 kts at 5:30GMT, which should be 1:30AM Eastern. Barometric pressure is down to 971.30mb. 61.81 kts is about 70 mph - almost hurricane-strength winds, with hurricane-strength gusts.
To: conservative in nyc
This should take care of the rodent problem on the island.
50
posted on
08/30/2006 11:12:49 PM PDT
by
HAL9000
(Happy 10th Anniversary FreeRepublic.com - Est. Sept. 23, 1996 - Thanks Jim!)
To: conservative in nyc
51
posted on
08/30/2006 11:15:10 PM PDT
by
HAL9000
(Happy 10th Anniversary FreeRepublic.com - Est. Sept. 23, 1996 - Thanks Jim!)
To: conservative in nyc
05:42Z
62.98 kph wind
80.09 kph gusts
77.90 air temp
83.84 water temp
970.20 mbars pressure
Still surprised the NOAA station on the island is still reporting, it really goes to show you how well they thought out their communication system. Still waiting for a new vapor image to come down from the Navy, don't expect one before midnight, though.
52
posted on
08/30/2006 11:18:14 PM PDT
by
kingu
(No, I don't use sarcasm tags - it confuses people.)
To: HAL9000
Rodents are like roaches - they seem to survive everything.
The Wake NOAA station recorded a 98.6 MPH wind gust as of the last reading about half an hour ago, and 72 MPH sustained winds - less than 2 MPH short of hurricane strength. Pressure is down to 968.80mb - and still falling fast.
Given the trend, Typhoon Ioke has arrived likely on Wake by now.
To: conservative in nyc
This shot just came down the pipe - same perspective as the last one, black dot is Wake Island, and it's not at the heart of the storm yet.
The little weather station that could. Still on the clean side of the storm, and it looks like the eye is going to brush past, probably the worst case for the island.
54
posted on
08/30/2006 11:32:15 PM PDT
by
kingu
(No, I don't use sarcasm tags - it confuses people.)
To: kingu
I read that the first use of Wake Island was a cable station in 1899. Perhaps the cable will survive. But it's difficult to imagine that rickety old weather shack will last much longer, or the generators.
55
posted on
08/30/2006 11:35:19 PM PDT
by
HAL9000
(Happy 10th Anniversary FreeRepublic.com - Est. Sept. 23, 1996 - Thanks Jim!)
To: HAL9000
That rickety old weather shack took a 100.6 MPH wind gust at 6:12GMT. Sustained winds are within 1MPH of hurricane strength. Pressure down to 965.60mb.
That shack was built in the 50s - it's probably built more solidly than anything we build today. It won't be much of a match for 50-foot waves, though.
To: HAL9000
wow. is it possible this will destroy the island entirely?
57
posted on
08/30/2006 11:45:32 PM PDT
by
Libertarian4Bush
(the underwear goes UNDER the pants! that's why they call it under-******-wear!)
To: HAL9000
Who knows - amazing what survives a hurricane. The weather station just reported a gust over 100mph. I'm not sure what the station's rated for, but I expect it to top out soon. 965.60 mbars pressure.
58
posted on
08/30/2006 11:45:38 PM PDT
by
kingu
(No, I don't use sarcasm tags - it confuses people.)
To: kingu
78 MPH sustained winds as of the 6:18 Zulu reading. Pressure at 964.30mb. The typhoon has arrived at Wake Island.
To: conservative in nyc
More than one mbar drop in less than six minutes, that's just 'wow' time. I'm loving this - get to see mega power without thinking about people losing their homes. (just tax dollars...)
60
posted on
08/30/2006 11:54:30 PM PDT
by
kingu
(No, I don't use sarcasm tags - it confuses people.)
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