Typhoons in Okinawa don’t damage homes all that often. But a power outage happens with quite high probability. And what’s really troublesome isn’t the outage itself — it’s “spending time not knowing when it will come back on.”

The outlook for restoration varies a lot depending on the typhoon’s size, the extent of damage, and when the strong winds finally die down. Crews can’t climb utility poles in strong wind, so restoration work itself sometimes can’t even start until the wind calms down. Rather than betting on “it’ll be back in X hours,” the realistic preparation is building a setup that’s fine even if it lasts several days.

In Okinawa, there was even a case where the Disaster Relief Act was applied specifically because of a power outage — during Typhoon No. 6 in 2023. A power outage doesn’t always stay “just an inconvenience”; it can grow to a scale that triggers formal disaster relief. Post-disaster procedures are covered in If You’re Affected by a Typhoon — Where Do You Go?.

What to do before a typhoon approaches

Once a typhoon is approaching, items disappear from store shelves. Rather than acting after the track forecast comes out, the ideal is to finish this during ordinary times, before any approach is even being discussed. Even once you’re in the season, the clear spells between typhoons become your preparation time.

1. Set up your power-outage information channel in advance

Okinawa Electric Power Company (OEPC) provides LINE and email delivery of power outage information, in addition to its outage map. If you try to register after the power’s already out, unstable communication and battery drain make it a hassle. Register on OEPC’s power outage information page while things are still normal.

2. Get lighting that doesn’t tie up a hand

A flashlight ties up one hand. What actually causes trouble during an outage is situations where you need both hands — cooking, using the toilet, tending to a child. Adding a headlamp, or a lantern-style light you can set down to light the surrounding area, makes a real difference.

Candles carry a risk of tipping over and igniting something in the dark of an outage. If you use one, put it somewhere stable, and always put it out before going to sleep.

3. Keep a stock of batteries and charge “while you use them”

Okinawa Prefecture lists spare batteries and a phone charger among emergency carry-out items. A power bank self-discharges over time, so it’s more reliable to use it in your daily routine and keep it topped up, rather than buying one and leaving it in a drawer.

If you want to run things like a refrigerator or a fan, a portable power station is another option. It’s an expensive purchase, so decide what you want to run and for how long (just charging a phone, or a fan, or a refrigerator) before choosing a capacity. A small unit sized for phone charging won’t have enough capacity to run a refrigerator.

4. Secure water

Okinawa Prefecture lists 3 liters of drinking water per person per day, for 3 days as a guideline. For a large-scale disaster, a week’s worth is said to be desirable.

When the power goes out, the water pump can stop, which can mean the water stops running in apartment buildings and homes on high ground — even without any actual water outage occurring. The prefecture also recommends, for securing water for daily use, to “always keep the bathtub filled with water” and “keep a water tank filled with tap water on hand.”

If you fill the bathtub once a typhoon’s approach comes into view, you’ll have water to flush the toilet with. In households with small children, pair this with drowning precautions such as locking the bathroom door.

5. Mix in food you can eat without heat or electricity

For a 3-day supply of staple food, Okinawa Prefecture gives examples such as alpha rice, biscuits, chocolate bars, and hardtack. A portable gas stove lets you eat something warm, but including a certain amount of food that needs no cooking at all helps when the outage drags on, or when it’s too hot to want to use a flame.

What to do once a typhoon is approaching

Not opening the refrigerator is the single biggest thing you can do

Once the power is out, open the refrigerator and freezer doors as little as possible. Left closed, the inside holds its cold for a while — every time you open it, you lose some of that reserve.

Once the approach is clear, doing the following in advance reduces how often you need to open it:

  • Freeze ice packs, or plastic bottles filled with water (this boosts the freezer’s cold reserve, and doubles as drinking water once it melts)
  • Group the items you use often near the front of the fridge (so you don’t stand there deciding, with the door open)
  • Set aside what you plan to eat during the outage in a separate cooler box, outside the fridge

After power comes back, if frozen food thawed and refroze, or if anything smells or looks off, don’t hesitate to throw it out. Food poisoning after a power outage is a real risk in hot, humid Okinawa.

Charge everything to “full” before it hits

Charge your phone, power bank, and portable power station to full. You can’t charge them once the power is out.

Once the power goes out

1. First, check whether it’s just your home

OEPC advises that, during an outage, you calmly check with your neighbors. If they’re dark too, it’s a utility-side outage. If only your home is dark, it may be your circuit breaker.

Check the distribution board to see if a breaker has tripped. If it’s just a tripped breaker, you don’t need to wait for the power company to restore anything.

2. Check power outage information

OEPC’s power outage information shows outage status by municipality on a map. During a typhoon, TV, radio, and local community FM stations also broadcast area-by-area information. To conserve your phone’s battery, it’s wise to prioritize a radio if you have one that works.

3. Prevent accidents when power comes back

Restoration happens without warning. If a heater or an iron was left switched on during the outage, it can power back on while you’re out and start a fire. Once the power goes out, switch off or unplug any electrical appliances that were running.

If you leave home to evacuate or for any other reason, it’s safer to trip the breaker before you go.

4. Never go near a downed power line

After a typhoon, you may see a drooping power line or a fallen utility pole. Don’t touch it, don’t approach it, don’t drive over it. Contact OEPC, or the police or fire department.

A water outage can arrive alongside it

During a typhoon, a water outage or discolored water can occur along with the power outage. Water outage and supply information, and requests to conserve water after a typhoon passes, come from the Okinawa Prefecture Enterprise Bureau.

Note that right after a typhoon passes, you may be asked to cooperate by not using excessive water so restoration work can proceed. Always check the official source for the latest status.

What this article does not cover

Where a power outage is currently happening, or when it will be restored, is not covered by this site — that information changes constantly. Always check an official source such as OEPC’s power outage information. Follow the evacuation information issued by your municipality when deciding whether to evacuate.