2015.10.01
Dujuan whips up second strongest winds on record
Typhoon Dujuan, the 21st typhoon of the year, had a direct hit on Ishigaki and Yonaguni Islands, Monday, before continuing to Taiwan.
Yonaguni Island was hit especially hard. The maximum wind speed reached 81.1 m/s that was recorded at 15:41 on Sep. 28th. It’s the second strongest wind ever recorded in Okinawa Prefecture. The strongest typhoon winds ever on Okinawa were recorded on Miyako Island on Sep. 5th, 1966, when the instruments topped at 85.3 m/s before they reportedly broke. Nationwide, Dujuan earns the title of the fifth strongest ever recorded.
The typhoon caused a lot of damage to housing and agriculture on Yonaguni. About 40 % of private residences, 317 houses, were damaged including 10 that were fully destroyed. 40 power poles fell over and a wing of a wind power generator was broken.
Several fishing vessels in the islands’ ports were damaged with some of them capsizing in their moorings. A concrete breakwater wall at the island’s main port was also damaged. Significant damage to the crops was also reported.