keep your fingers crossed

pic we sent erica from her brothers birthday

Just a quick note .. made it through the typhoon fine even though they were on lock down stuck in the bricks she says.. with plenty of mre's (meals ready to eat) found out shes going to two Marine Corp Balls, so keep you fingers and toes crossed for pics. She know how I want them but it seams I have to beg :( My friend leaves next week for her sons graduation from Army basic then he's off to his warrant officer training. I know I'll post a pic of Ty in his Army stuff.....


Ty is second one on left side

At PDS

Well, I know they were there during the storm that hit the Philippines and she's safe and sound...and back on Oki now.. on her birthday she thought someone stole her phone, I don't know the particulars but she got it back. I even text her phone telling whom ever to turn it in to her and who she was and that it was my only communication with her LOL .. maybe that worked. Glad about that .. that would of been her third phone gone. She did email her brother to say happy birthday to him (I was hoping for a gift) but I know their in their own little world.

Yep another Typhoon heading her way, they think it will hit land the middle of next week but I think it will be further up.. worried about my friends son's she's got two back east and the storm hitting now are crazy tornadoes and all. Ones a Marine and the others in Army Basic training and she'll be flying back east for his graduation and she doesn't like to fly. Saying some prayers for her.

She did say she's feeling a little homesick right now .. I don't blame her for one thing were coming up an a year of being away from home and two the holidays are just around the corner. Sort of not looking forward to the holidays myself they seam harder with kids grown up and your single and the job you have makes you work every holiday, sad and depressing even my sons birthday was small because of short notice all our crazy work schedules. Hard to fit things in that we all can be able to go to. I never see my dad with the schedule he's on now. :( okay maybe my personal blog should be for the whining right LOL sorry about that.

well off to the auto garage again :(

Typhoons (TCCOR-1C) known as hurricanes in the United States

today at apx 8 pm pacific time ... their on lock down

Typhoons

TCCOR-1C - military term

Printable Fact Sheet

Photos Download HiRes

BACKGROUND
Okinawa lies in the Pacific's "Typhoon Alley." Typhoons, known as hurricanes in the United States, pack powerful winds and can be very destructive. They occur when warm water of the South Pacific Ocean between the Republic of the Philippines and Guam combines with the cool winds in the region.

Once formed, the storms usually travel in a path beginning near Guam, then moves toward the Philippines and Okinawa and before heading north toward mainland Japan or Korea. Most weaken at sea before they reach inland.

Typhoons are most frequent from June to November with as many as 26 typhoons forming in a season. However, usually only three or four pass close enough to Okinawa to be of any concern to people stationed here.

On Okinawa, the greatest number of typhoons is concentrated in August and September. Sophisticated weather forecasting and tracking equipment and reinforced concrete buildings have taken the surprise and most of the danger out of typhoons.

The Kadena weather flight monitors these tropical storms and typhoons, and serves as a focal point for typhoon information on Okinawa as part of the Pacific Command's Tropical Cyclone Warning System.

Warnings of approaching storms, as well as typhoon tips and precautions, are broadcast over American Forces Network-Okinawa radio and television.

Current local weather information, including tropical cyclone conditions of readiness, is available on the Kadena weather flight's homepage. Kadena residents can also get up-to-date pathway projections for typhoons via the Joint Typhoon Warning Center's homepage.

Read the Kadena Air Base Emergency Actions Guide from the base disaster preparedness office for more details on typhoon preparedness.


CONDITIONS OF READINESS
Following are Tropical Cyclone (Typhoon) Conditions of Readiness (TCCOR), their meanings and actions to take for safety:

TC-4: Destructive sustained winds of 50 knots or greater possible within 72 hours. Stock up on food, bottled water, dry milk, batteries, flashlights, candles and other emergency supplies. TC-4 stays in affect from June 1 to November 30 every year.

TC-3: Destructive sustained winds of 50 knots or greater expected within 48 hours. Initiate a general clean-up around your home, apartment and office. Pick up loose items, such as toys, garden tools and lawn furniture.

TC-2: Destructive sustained winds of 50 knots or greater anticipated within 24 hours. Secure all outdoor property such as picnic tables, barbecue grills, etc.

TC-1: Destructive sustained winds of 50 knots or greater are expected within 12 hours. DODDs schools will close at this time. Fill any available containers with water. Make a final check of food, water and other supplies.

TC-1 CAUTION: Sustained winds blowing at 34 to 49 knots and are expected to reach 50 knots or more within 12 hours. All outdoor activities, except those in direct support of urgent military missions, will be discontinued. The base exchange and commissary close and all non-mission-essential people should be off the streets and in their residences. All AAFES facilities close.

TC-1 EMERGENCY: Destructive sustained winds of 50 knots or greater occurring. All outside activities are prohibited.

TC-1 RECOVERY: Destructive sustained winds of 50 knots are no longer occurring. Actual winds are 34-49 knots. No outdoor activity is authorized other than workers from pre-designated emergency crews. TCCOR1 recovery Mission-Essential Passes, which are issued to mission-essential agencies only, must be in the driver's possession before attempting to travel on Kadena.

TC - STORM WATCH: There is still a possibility of danger to personnel due to the storm's unpredictability or from hazards created by previous high winds. Normal activities may resume with caution two hours after declaration of STORM WATCH. AAFES facilities and the commissary may reopen as well. Stay tuned to AFN television and radio.

TC - ALL CLEAR: The 18th Wing commander, as Okinawa's senior TCCOR authority, will announce condition "All Clear" when local recovery operations are complete. Outdoor activity and transit between installations are authorized. Hazardous conditions and winds are no longer present, however be alert to possible damage and hazardous conditions on roads, etc. TCCOR-4 stays in effect from June 1 to November 30 every year.


TAKE ACTION
There are some simple but important steps that Airmen and their families should take in preparation for typhoon season. Most importantly, families should have an emergency kit that contains the following items at a minimum:

• Flashlight with extra batteries
• Bottled Water (3 days worth - 1 gallon per person per day)
• Non-perishable packaged or canned food / juices
• Foods for infants or the elderly
• Snack foods
• Non-electric can opener
• Cooking tools/fuel
• Paper plates/plastic utensils
• First-Aid supplies, Prescriptions
• Battery powered radio (AFN)
• Pet care items
• Towels, rags, mops

When a typhoon is imminent, all personnel should:

• Fill bathtubs with water
• Turn refrigerators/freezers to highest setting
• Secure loose outdoor objects or store them indoors, play sets, bicycles, and other toys, grills, trampolines, storage sheds, tables & chair, trash & recycling containers
• Store bulk trash items indoors if contractor has not picked up by TCCOR 2
• Secure & lock all exterior doors and windows
• Sandbag base of doors - self-help sand bags may be picked up at Eagle Hardware for base housing residents
• Turn off all non-critical electrical items: lights, computers, printers, fans, TVs, etc.
• Fuel your vehicles
• Park vehicles in an area least prone to falling tree limbs and flooding

Safe and Sound

Got a quick little email she's safe and sound .. no details but she said it was just to check in. Hopefully soon will I get a little more info like address and such. Mommy's happy with at least that, then I'm not so nervous.... I did give her all the mommy warnings .. like always have a buddy, she says their supposed to at all times. So I guess I'll give more details much later but maybe if I have some time then I'll post some old stories of my little girl .. the girl that doesn't like to write or call. Oh wait she's still like that..LOL

Even with her best friend they would be on the phone for hours and hours and I would walk in her room and say what are you doing? She'd say "talking to Nola".. "what do you mean?" I would say that cause I would see the phone sitting on the bed .. I'd say "Nola?" She would say "yep" .. they'd be doing whatever in their rooms and just talk off and on .. I thought that was so funny.

What's even funnier is they became the best of friends by getting into a fight in the first place a girl fight .. yep hitting and next thing you know they have total respect for one another and best friends. I know they miss each other so much. Their dream was to go to Japan together someday and here is Miss Erica there without her :( That part is sad, maybe someday Nola can go there too.

Erica has became much more mature than I ever thought possible ;)

When she finally does write me it just so grown up its amazing to me that it's her.

Funny thing when she writes about her job it is all in abbreviations and military jumbo that I have to remind her I'm not in the service, I don't know what she means but most of the time I have to google it to know what's going on. LOL When she was in boot camp I found an acronym (think thats what I mean) list boy did that help me and helped with the blog too. Well trying to keep on top of things....

Watched Beauty and the Beast tonight just because it was Miss Erica's favorite when she was little I even had her bedroom decorated that way :)