Typhoon Party!?!?!

Living on a beautiful tropical island such as Okinawa is wonderful!  It also has it's drawbacks one HUGE drawback would be typhoons!  Growing up in San Diego I was not well versed in the 4 seasons, let alone adverse weather. I mean when we moved to Virgina and I got my first frozen windshield I didn't know what to do so I threw hot water on it!!! I KNOW...CRAZY.  Now I know better and have since got a scrapper and have never made that mistake again.  But a typhoon is quite a different story.

To be honest, it's really not that bad.  Since we've been here (2010 when we arrived) typhoon season each year has been pretty active.  Typhoon season is from June to October.  In September so far, we've had 2 to actually hit the island.  One most recently was last weekend.  Typhoon Sanba graced us with her presence super early on Sunday morning.  She was forecast to be a Super Typhoon, I'm not sure on the difference but it was supposed to be a bad one.  We were prepared since we just had another typhoon 2 weeks earlier.  We generally keep a good supply of canned food and water during the typhoon months. During typhoons its really windy and really rainy.  For the day leading up to a typhoon and during a typhoon we don't normally leave the house. Well we really can't, with all the wind and rain who would really want to? In preparation for the typhoon we really only stock up on snack foods and adult drinks. We already have all the emergency type stuff on hand.

Once the typhoon is near we just chill inside. We download lots of shows and movies to keep us occupied. With one of our first typhoons we actually took that time indoors to potty train Mills! It was great since we already had to be inside. For mills we play with her and have lots of snacks for her. It's a lot of family time, which I love. But being stuck in the house for 2-3 days is tiring. Cabin fever sets in and I feel like the house has been torn apart! I actually get a little anxiety once the typhoon starts to leave because I know how much cleaning needs to be done. Living in Japan we are in a small space and it can be a lil crazy trying to entertain 2 adults, 1 toddler , and an infant.

Usually once we get the all clear we get ready and get out of the house! I clean the bare minimum and take out the trash we have accumulated and head to the nearest restaurant. We also like to drive around the island to the sea wall and check out the huge waves. That's really it. I think it's really one of the best natural disasters. Okinawa gets hit every year and this island and the Okinawans are prepared. A few days off work (if the typhoon hits on a weekday), movie marathons, time with your family , and lazy days inside... Seriously typhoons are the natural disasters for families.

(Now, I do realize that there have been other places and even here that have been badly damaged by typhoons and would live to never see another one. I fortunately have never gone through a bad typhoon. This is just what I've experienced while living in Okinawa.)

Adult Typhoon Survival Kit

Nono and I Chillen

She is one Bad Mamma Jamma

Mills Playing While the Typhoon Kicks Up