Typhoon Kompasu crashes Okuma, spares Kadena

  • Published
  • By Tech. Sgt. Mike Tateishi
  • 18th Wing Public Affairs
KADENA AIR BASE, Japan --  The first major typhoon of 2010 hit Okinawa leaving five Okinawans injured and more than 32,000 homes without power in the northern portions of the island.

The Okuma Recreation Facility run by the 18th Force Support Squadron was near the storm's center and was one of those areas without power. Capt. Adam Vaccarezza, Det. 1 Okuma Recreation Facility commander, said the resort will be closed for at least a week, but that could change based upon assessments from electricians and "dirt boys" dispatched from Kadena Wednesday morning. The team has already started on the cleanup.

Vaccarezza said he saw large concrete towers had blown down and large trees had been uprooted. One of the lifeguard shacks had also blown up against a tree.

The storm damage was minimal around Kadena Air Base where wind gusts topped out at 52 miles per hour.

A lot of the minor damage by Mother Nature was caused by tree limbs, but some of it from unsecured items left outside.

Mark Pinnau, 718 Civil Engineering Squadron deputy commander, said the biggest issue was people not tying things down. "A lot of people lost items that blew away," he said.