Jonathan and I both went to work, periodically checking in with each other to hear if there was any new news on the storm. Around 1:00pm, Jonathan called to tell me that flying was cancelled and he and the other pilots were being sent home for the rest of the day and tomorrow. However, it wasn't until almost 3:30pm that I received the following notice via e-mail:
Hard to read, but its basically a letter from the base commander saying civilians did not have to report for work the next day. HOORAY! You know what that meant: time for a typhoon party!
But, of course, we had to make sure our place was secure first. Here's Oskar double-checking to make sure everything was off our balcony (he was very concerned about the incoming storm):
As we were finishing our preparations, we looked outside and realized the clouds were starting to roll in. . .
Ready or not, Kompasu was coming. The commander had confined us to our quarters, but the good thing about base housing is that you are almost guaranteed to have friends in your building. So we grabbed the important stuff (the wine), and headed up to our friends the Haugh's apartment on the 8th floor to celebrate.
Later that night, as the rains began, pallets of water were dropped off in front our building. There was literally a line of people waiting for it to be delivered. Jonathan and I weren't quick enough (probably because I was standing on our balcony taking pictures)--its a good thing we'd already bought our own!
Here is the last image of the satellite we checked before we went to bed for the night. The wind was starting to pick up and it was raining, but we weren't really feeling anything yet.
Kompasu arrived in full force around 3:00 or 4:00 in the morning. The wind was howling and rattling our windows, and the rain was beating against the side of the building. In this radar image, Osan is located on the eastern edge of the eye-wall. This is the last radar image I could get before the power went out--for good:
Now, I absolutely love storms, but this one made me a bit nervous. I'd never heard anything like it. However, I said a quick prayer, closed my eyes, and fell back asleep--not knowing I'd sleep through the whole thing! When I awoke again around 7:00, the power was still out and it was still windy, but the worst had past. I was only able to snap a few shots of the wind bending the trees.
From where I stood on the balcony, there didn't appear to be a lot of damage. I noticed some tree limbs down and a part of this fence on the ground but, overall, it appeared that base had escaped un-harmed.
Without power, we were completely cut off from all communications. We had received a phone call saying that curfew was still in effect and we were to stay in quarters until further notice; the storm was not over. So Jonathan and I sat and waited. . . and waited. . . and waited. . .
Nothing more came, and clouds even seemed to breaking up. The apartment was getting stuffy, and all of us (including Oskar) were getting antsy. We had to get out. Luckily, just as we were reaching our breaking point, Jonathan received a phone call saying we were released from our quarters. We made our way through the dark hallway, down 7 flights of stairs in the pitch black (that's right--no security lighting even; its amazing someone didn't get seriously hurt going up and down those stairs), and out in the hot, humid Korean air. While Jonathan went to the squadron to try and find out what was going on, Oskar and I made our way around base. Turns out, the storm was worse than what we thought.
This is the construction site of the new Enlisted Club near the Community Center. The fencing was barely standing. . .
This was next to the chapel. It looked more like lightning damage than wind. .
Near the AFRC and CDC. . .
These were more up-rooted trees near the Enlisted Dorms (near the CDC). . .
This is looking down Songtan Boulevard towards the main gate. . .
The entrance to the Commissary Parking Garage. . .
Part of the commissary's side was ripped off. . .
This is back by the elementary school. It was here that I was walking through, snapping pictures, paying NO ATTENTION to where I was walking until Oskar started pulling on his leash, refusing to walk forward. I finally looked down and realized I was about ready to step on a downed power line. LUCKILY, it was dead, but I still had to come home and tell Jonathan that OKB saved my life ;)
More downed trees by the elementary school . . .
This is near the Indoor Pool. Oskar didn't want to walk here either, but it was only because he would step on one side of a branch and the other end would pop up and scare him. So, after being my hero for about 10 minutes, he returned to being just silly old OKB pretty quick. . .
I don't think Oskar was too disappointed to see that a lot of these signs were knocked down. . .
This was near the O'Club and right across from the Force Support Squadron where I work.
This was on Broadway Boulevard near the gym. . .
The golf course. . .
Near the flight line. . .
This was taken two days after the storm where those trees were pulled up near the staircase on Songtan Boulevard. This just shows that the roots were even underneath concrete holders, which were crumbled and the winds ripped up the trees. . .
As it turns out, this was the most powerful storm to hit South Korea in 15 years, and it killed 5 people. Read the article from Stars and Stripes here.
It took a full 48 hours for the power to be restored in Seoraksan Tower. We were some of the last ones to receive our power back and, after 36 hours, I called knock-it-off and made Jonathan book a pet-friendly room at Turumi. It may sound silly but, by that point, it was totally worth it for some air conditioning, a hot shower, and to NOT have to walk up and down 7 flights of stairs to get to and from your apartment. However, praise the Lord, things are back to normal now and (despite having to throw quite a few things out of our refrigerator), we're no worse for the wear. But. . . I do think I might pause before getting so excited about a typhoon again. . . .
