TheDecisiontoEvadeorRemaininPort
NAHA, OKINAWA
THE DECISION TO EVADE OR REMAIN OR REMAIN IN PORT
General
For general information about tropical cyclone warnings the reader is referred to paragraphs 6 and 7 of Section I. See also paragraph 7.4.1 of the Buckner Bay Port Study.
The Commander, 18 WG, who is the Single Service Coordinator (SSC) for Okinawa, sets Okinawa's Tropical Cyclone Conditions of Readiness. The Commander 18 WG will conduct liaison with Okinawa Area Coordinating Committee (OACC) members on matters of operational concern, which may affect or be affected by Tropical Cyclone Conditions of Readiness (TCCORs). Commander Fleet Activities Okinawa/Naval Air Facility Kadena Instruction 3140.1 (series) provides established procedures to be followed during periods of Tropical Cyclone/Typhoon threats in Okinawa.
SOPA Okinawa Instruction 5000.1 (series) states that upon the setting of Tropical Cyclone Condition Three at Okinawa, SOPA will be notified by Port Services, and Navy ships will prepare to get underway. Military Sealift Command Office Okinawa Instruction 3140.1 (series) states that when Tropical Cyclone Condition 3 is set, MSC ships are required to prepare to get underway within the next 24 hours. Each ship will be notified of the tentative sailing schedule to be followed if Condition 2 is set. MSC ships will receive orders to sail within two hours after Condition 2 is set in accordance with a harbor movement schedule. As indicated in the above instructions and stated during the site visit in June 2000, all ships are required to sortie from Buckner Bay/Naha when directly threatened by a tropical cyclone/typhoon.
Tropical Cyclone Conditions of Readiness are defined in Table V-25.
Evasion Rationale
In general, the decision on whether to sortie or remain in port is largely based on the answer to a single question: Would the vessel in question be better off attempting an evasion at sea or remaining in port? In the case of Naha, however, remaining in port is not an option because local harbor authorities state that the Port does not have safe berths or anchorages under tropical cyclone conditions. Consequently, it is the clear policy of Military Sealift Command Office Okinawa to instruct all MSC ships to leave the harbor prior to the passage of a typhoon.
Evasion rationale should include consideration of the following general factors:
- Vessel characteristics
- Berth and anchorage conditions
- Most recent tropical cyclone warning advisory
- Tropical cyclone climatology
Individual vessel characteristics and berth/anchorage conditions are best determined by those responsible for each vessel and local port authorities. Tropical cyclone warnings are issued by the Naval Pacific Meteorology and Oceanography Center (NPMOC)/Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC) Pearl Harbor for the U. S. Government and by the Japanese Meteorological Agency for Japan. Due to the proximity of Buckner Bay and Naha Harbor, the interpretation of tropical cyclone climatology presented in paragraph 7.4 of the Buckner Bay Port Study are applicable.
Important phone numbers for Naha, Okinawa are as follows: Port Authority, Director/Traffic Manager 11th Maritime Safety Agency - 098-866-0085 (Limited English), Port Security Officer 835th Trans. BN (MTMC TML) Naha - 634-7404, MSC Office, Naha Military Port (Bldg. 305) - 648-7865 (098-857-8204 commercial). Weather information is available at 634-3879 or via the following Internet link: http://www.kadena.af.mil.
Remaining in Port
Remaining in Naha when threatened by a typhoon is not the recommended course of action.
Naha is a confined, generally unsheltered harbor. The anchorages are exposed to wind and sea and the bottom is considered very poor holding ground. Several merchant ships may be present at any given time in Naha Harbor, and some of these vessels may have inadequate or poorly maintained mooring gear. As a result, it is possible for them to break loose during typhoon conditions and cause damage to other ships. As a consequence, it is recommended that U.S. Navy ships sortie when typhoon conditions threaten.
If a ship is unable to get underway and evade at sea, every effort must be made to obtain a berth within Naha Ko, the Main Inner Harbor (see Figures V-116A and V-116B ). Port authorities recommend using piers 3, 4 and 5 on the military side or piers 1, 2 and 3 on the commercial side. Pier 7 on the military side would be the best but it is short.
Port authorities state that ships would be ordered to evacuate from the port whenever an approaching tropical cyclone threatens the port, so remaining in port is not an option. It is the recommendation of this evaluation that all U.S. Navy vessels sortie from the Port well in advance of an approaching tropical cyclone.
Evasion at Sea
Evasion from Naha Harbor when threatened by a typhoon is the recommended course of action for all ships to follow.
Commanding officers and ship masters with access to tropical cyclone warnings and advisories coupled with OTSR services are most capable of making the safest and most prudent decision for successful storm evasion and avoidance. In all sortie situations, OTSR services from Naval Pacific Meteorology and Oceanography Center (NPMOC), Yokosuka should be requested and utilized. The best sortie route in a specific tropical cyclone scenario is largely dependent on the location of the tropical cyclone and the forecast track. During any tropical cyclone threat there is normally one or more options available to the commanding officer and ship master. Selection of the best option is the objective of all concerned!
Due to the proximity of Buckner Bay and Naha Harbor, the evasion techniques presented in paragraph 7.4.4 of the Buckner Bay Port Study are applicable.
Source: http://www.nrlmry.navy.mil/port_studies/thh-nc/japan/naha/text/sect4.htm
