Typhoon

Local knowledge for life in typhoon-prone Okinawa: preparing for blackouts and water outages, protecting windows and balconies, timing your shopping, protecting your car, what happens to work and school, and getting ready if you have pets, elderly or disabled family members, or infants.

• Preparing for a Typhoon Power Outage

  A power outage is the single most likely thing to happen during a typhoon in Okinawa. This article covers what to prepare before the season starts, and what to do once the power goes out, to get through the wait for it to come back on.

• Staying in Touch with Family During a Power Outage

  When a power outage drags on, your phone's battery becomes your lifeline for letting people know you're safe. This article covers official disaster message boards and LINE Safety Check, the fact that they may not activate during a typhoon, and the family rules you should agree on regardless.

• Windows and Balconies, Before the Wind Picks Up

  What actually breaks in an Okinawa typhoon is rarely the house itself — it's windows, and the things left out on the balcony. This article covers the order to work in, from clearing the balcony to reinforcing windows, all before the wind gets strong.

• When to Go Shopping, and What to Buy

  Okinawa Prefecture explicitly advises against going shopping while a typhoon is approaching. So when should you go? This article covers the timing for your shopping trip, and how to decide what goes into your 3-day supply.

• Preparing for a Water Outage — a Power Outage Alone Can Stop Your Water

  In apartment and condo buildings, water can stop the moment the power goes out — because of a system called a pressure pump. This article covers how many liters to store before a typhoon and, from official sources, why conserving water matters after one passes.

• Typhoons and Your Car — Where to Park, Roads Never to Drive, and Salt Damage Afterward

  In Okinawa, a car is how you get around day to day — and also an asset that's especially vulnerable to typhoon damage. This article covers where to park, why you must never drive into a flooded road, and what you must absolutely never do to a car that's been submerged.

• Pets and Disaster Preparedness — Don't Misread What "Evacuating Together" Means

  Evacuating together with your pet means "going to the shelter together" — it does not mean "staying in the same room together." Drawing on official guidance from the Ministry of the Environment and Okinawa City, this article covers what to do before typhoon season starts.

• Preparing When Your Household Includes Elderly Members, People with Disabilities, or Infants

  The longer it takes someone to evacuate, the more that early preparation pays off. This article covers how to use two official systems — the List of Residents Requiring Evacuation Assistance and the Individual Evacuation Plan — alongside what you can prepare at home.

• Typhoon Day — What Happens to Work and School

  In Okinawa, public schools close temporarily once a Storm Warning is issued. This article covers what happens if the warning comes in the middle of the school day, what happens to prefectural and municipal government offices, and what happens to work — a set of benchmarks for planning your family's day.

• Preparing for Typhoons as a Foreign Resident of Okinawa

  For foreign nationals living in Okinawa — not visiting. This article covers how to receive information in other languages, what to register for during ordinary times, and where to turn for help, written so Japanese-speaking family members and coworkers can read it too.

• If You're Affected by a Typhoon — Where Do You Go?

  When a typhoon damages your home or car, the first thing to do isn't cleaning up — it's taking photos. This article covers the difference between a Disaster Victim Certificate and a Disaster Victim Notification Certificate, application deadlines, and the fact that in Okinawa, the responsible department differs by municipality — all drawn from prefectural and municipal official sources.