Wake Island typhoon

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Can'thavenuthingood

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http://www.cnn.com/2006/WEATHER/08/29/wake.island.evac.ap/index.html

Cat 5 typhoon "Ioke" to hit Wake Island with 155 mph winds, storm surge to destroy evrything not made of concrete.

Way back in 1990 my outfit stopped there on a TransPac to Iwakuni, Japan. I took my 20 young Marines out along the defensive lines of the Wake Island Defenders, VMF-211 and gave a brief description of the battle.

While standing there on the weather worn parapets and gun emplacements it was an eery sensation. Chills now as I type this.

My troops were stretched out over the length of the line and I pointed to the sea telling them to imagine watching out there as the sun came up and seeing Japanese ships carrying an invasion force and all you have is a rifle and a few grenades.

It was like standing in a depression and the calm sea was going to engulf you at any moment. Disorienting and quiet, there were no birds or critters or noise, just a quiet sea and no wind.

Rust, sand and stillness.

Vick

http://www.ibiblio.org/hyperwar/USMC/USMC-C-Wake.html
 
Last edited:
TAF PWAK 291111 02012KT 9999 FEW020 BKN250 QNH2972INS BECMG 1415 02015G25KT 9999 SCT020 BKN250 QNH2968INS BECMG 2021
03022G35KT 8000 -SHRA BKN020 BKN080 BKN250 QNH2963INS BECMG
0809 02028G40KT 8000 -SHRA BKN020 BKN080 OVC250 QNH2958INS
T30/03Z T26/18Z LIMITED METWATCH 2911 TIL 2922
Click to expand...

That's the wildest TAF (Terminal Aerodrome Forecast) I've ever seen. Barometer of 29.58... that's purty low. And "LIMITED METWATCH"--never seen that one before. Too bad Wake doesn't have any NOAA weather radar. It's interesting to watch those things roll in when I'm bored.

I saw a documentary on the Battle of Wake Island once, and a veteran told his thoughts at the time the Japanese ships appeared on the horizon: "Of all the Americans there are, how many are Marines? Of all the Marines there are, how many are on Wake Island right now?" and then went on to say something about his bad luck.

At least the guys there now can tell when a storm is approachng and get out in time. Back in the day, this might have wiped them out more thoroughly than the Japanese.
 
I've spent many a day in Wake with VMGR-152. Awesome place full of history, a much needed moral victory that early in the war. Being off the beaten path is good and bad for the battlefield. It is not scoured by tourist, but also the last time I was there, there is no real preservation of most of the artifacts going on.

I hope they have evac'd most everyone, or are at least in the process.

Ioke is right now 135G155 kts (155G184 MPH). Forecast to be about the same when it hits Wake Island.

add:

http://www.npmoc.navy.mil/jtwc.html
 
Makes me wonder . . . how high above sea level is the highest point on Wake Island, and how much of a storm surge will a Cat V storm bring?
 
I saw the documentary... "Wake Island: The Alamo of the Pacific". The one guy said by rights they should have died back then. They had no way to know they wouldn't be executed as later were the 168 civilian workers. I also recall there being efforts to reinforce Wake from Honolulu, but that effort was aborted in the aftermath of Pearl Harbor... it's really strange to me how an American outfit can deem Americans not worth the effort to reinforce and rescue. As much as I'd hate to have been there and died, I think my own idea would probably be to die fighting than to run the chance of being executed as a POW. IIRC, there were several who were executed in a bushido party aboard a Japanese freighter a couple of days/nights later. However, also IIRC, one of that group of POWs managed to escape of a Japanese POW train and made his way to communist China... I think they said it was Mao Tse Tung (sp?) who said they hadn't seen an American escape and make it before.

I agree though, that such a powerful storm could do more damage in that kind of place than the Japanese did.
 
They still are:

http://www.3maw.usmc.mil/MAG13/VMA211/history.asp

They've got RADAR Harriers now. 25mm chaingun, Sidewinders and AMRAAMs on an AV8. Too cool.

Field elevation is 14'. I think the highest point on the island is 20-something feet.

From the National Hurricane Center Website:

Category Five Hurricane:
Winds greater than 155 mph (135 kt or 249 km/hr). Storm surge generally greater than 18 ft above normal. Complete roof failure on many residences and industrial buildings. Some complete building failures with small utility buildings blown over or away. All shrubs, trees, and signs blown down. Complete destruction of mobile homes. Severe and extensive window and door damage. Low-lying escape routes are cut by rising water 3-5 hours before arrival of the center of the hurricane. Major damage to lower floors of all structures located less than 15 ft above sea level and within 500 yards of the shoreline. Massive evacuation of residential areas on low ground within 5-10 miles (8-16 km) of the shoreline may be required. Only 3 Category Five Hurricanes have made landfall in the United States since records began: The Labor Day Hurricane of 1935, Hurricane Camille (1969), and Hurricane Andrew in August, 1992. The 1935 Labor Day Hurricane struck the Florida Keys with a minimum pressure of 892 mb--the lowest pressure ever observed in the United States. Hurricane Camille struck the Mississippi Gulf Coast causing a 25-foot storm surge, which inundated Pass Christian. Hurricane Andrew of 1992 made landfall over southern Miami-Dade County, Florida causing 26.5 billion dollars in losses--the costliest hurricane on record. In addition, Hurricane Wilma (pdf) of 2005 was a Category Five hurricane at peak intensity and is the strongest Atlantic tropical cyclone on record with a minimum pressure of 882 mb.
 
Yeah, my guess would have been around 20 feet elevation. I felt like I was at the bottom of a hill looking up at the water. The Major aboard Wake at the time said they get a supply ship every 6 months.
Mostly all Thai contract workers and we weren't to go over the bridge to their area.
If Wake is swamped I wonder if DOD will close it up?

I have or had a T-shirt from Wake Island University somewhere around here. Another even smaller dot on the globe is Kwajelin.

I was a First Mech with VMGR-152 (Ichi-Go-Ni) out of Futema and Danang back in 1970-71. Put in for an extension in country and received the approval AND orders to NAS Willow Grove, Pa. the same day. S-1 clerk said it was my decision to make. A fellow Sgt. standing there convinced me to go to the Grove. I did and what a hoot we had.

Vick
 
Before I left 152 the Army took over and lifted the Wilkes/Peale off limits rule.

Needless to say we went looking for anything remaining from the battle or the occupation. We had high hopes as we had found an Arisaka and an M1919 on Iwo and had them at the Squadron (both well rusted to gun-like shapes). Nothing interesting left.

They did find the Japanese NCO club while they were re-paving the runway in the late 90's. Underground to avoid they regular air strikes and NGF of the ships going to more active portions of the war.

I don't think they will close Wake unless it is just totally destroyed. The airlines use it to make ETOPS requirements on some of their aircraft. It is also a good divert out in the middle of nowhere. Base Ops had pictures of 747's on down that had made emergency stops there.
 
does antone stay during a storm like this?

or do they pull everyone off the island. my kid sis was born there in 61 . i can't imagine a big storm there.
 
dad was a meteorologist there then

small world smaller island
dad was jack(john newell) mick from the bronx married to a japanese lady and i was their heathan kid. ran away from home first time there i was 2 and ended up in the o club bar watching weather balloons go up(according to family legend. i remember very lil was 3 when we left)
do you think someone rides out the storm there?
 
I'm thinking everyone left. Last I saw they were saying storm surge @ 18 feet, significant waves @ 50 feet.
With Wakes elevation at 20 feet? Who'd stay?

And its a Super Typhoon.

We saw rusted gun parts, belt parts, steel hulks and all stuff just left there, no where to go with it. We didn't disturb anything but the sand. The troops all respected the area as hallowed ground.

Would have liked to hung out awhile and explored the island some.

Vick
 
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