Typhoon preparation brings reinforcing windows to mind first, but what you should do first is clear the balcony and yard. Things that go flying are what break windows, so doing it in the wrong order makes the whole effort weaker.

And this work takes longer than you’d think. Once the wind picks up, it’s too dangerous to do. Start in daylight, the moment a typhoon’s track comes into view.

1. First, get rid of everything sitting outside

Okinawa Prefecture advises: “Secure anything that could be blown by the wind, or move it somewhere sheltered from the wind.” Naha City is more specific: “Move anything at risk of being blown away indoors,” naming potted plants, planters, and laundry poles as examples.

The rule is simple: when in doubt, bring it inside. Bringing it in is more reliable than trying to secure it in place.

Easy to overlook:

  • Laundry poles and their brackets — people often remove just the pole and leave the brackets
  • Planters and potted plants — the smaller ones fly the easiest. An empty pot with just soil in it is just as bad
  • Sandals, slippers, trash cans, buckets
  • Air conditioner unit covers, duckboards, artificial turf
  • Children’s outdoor toys, bicycles — even just laying a bicycle down flat helps
  • Anything leaning against a storage shed, umbrella stands
  • Balcony clothes-drying racks, clothespin cases

For large items that won’t fit indoors, lay them flat and secure them low against a wall. Standing them upright catches the wind.

2. Clean out drains and gutters

Okinawa Prefecture advises: “Clean out the gutters and drains around your home.” Naha City: “Clear away trash and mud accumulated in drains to keep them flowing well.”

If a balcony drain is clogged, rainwater can’t escape and pools on the balcony, and it can come in through the sliding door. In typhoon rainfall, a single fallen leaf can clog a drain. Make sure to check this while you’re already out there clearing the balcony.

3. Reinforcing windows — don’t misunderstand what tape actually does

This is the point most people get wrong.

Okinawa Prefecture advises: “Put cloth tape or similar on the glass, and lower your curtains or blinds,” stating the purpose is preventing injury from broken glass. Naha City similarly recommends “reinforcing with duct tape or vinyl tape,” and applying the tape from the inside, with the curtains secured.

In other words, tape isn’t there to keep the glass from breaking — it’s there to keep the shattered pieces from flying everywhere when it does. Don’t assume that putting up tape means the glass won’t break.

If you want to actually prevent the glass from breaking, the prefecture names a different measure:

Reinforce your windows with storm shutters or boards.

If your home has storm shutters or a rolling shutter, close them without exception. If you don’t, and there’s a specific window you genuinely want to protect, boarding it up is the realistic option. But this needs preparation in advance — get the materials ready before the season starts. There won’t be time once a typhoon is already approaching.

Always close your curtains

Same reasoning as the tape. If the glass does break, curtains or blinds catch the fragments. If you have something heavy like blackout curtains, close those instead.

4. What not to do while the typhoon is at its worst

  • Don’t go out onto the balcony. Even if you realize you forgot to bring something in, don’t go back out for it once the wind has picked up
  • Don’t go near windows, and don’t go look outside. If one is going to break, that’s the moment your face shouldn’t be there. It’s safer to stay away from rooms with windows while the wind is strong
  • Don’t go out to pick up something that’s blown in. Even if things go quiet for a while inside the eye of the typhoon, wind from the opposite direction follows afterward, at the same strength

5. After the typhoon passes

  • Before going outside, check through the window for broken glass or debris
  • Never go near a drooping power line or a fallen utility pole (covered in detail in the power outage article)
  • Clean up wearing gloves and shoes; avoid bare feet or sandals

What to have ready before the season starts

If you go shopping once a typhoon is already approaching, the shelves are empty. Having these ready in July makes things much easier.

  • Painter’s tape or cloth tape (if you’re planning to peel it off later, one that doesn’t leave residue makes cleanup afterward easier)
  • If you’re planning to board up windows, boards and the hardware to fix them in place
  • Work gloves or thick gloves (you’ll definitely need these for clearing up and cleaning)

Food, water, and power outage preparation are covered in Preparing for a Typhoon Power Outage.

What this article does not cover

This site does not cover where a typhoon currently is, or when it will enter the storm warning area. Always check official up-to-date information such as JMA’s. Follow the evacuation information issued by your municipality when deciding whether to evacuate.