Maintenance workers and airmen remove plant debris in the aftermath of Typhoon Jangmi at Kadena Air Base, Okinawa, June 2, 2026. (Keishi Koja/Stars and Stripes)
CAMP FOSTER, Okinawa — Typhoon Jangmi — the first major storm to strike Okinawa in nearly three years — passed over the island Monday evening with little damage reported at U.S. military installations despite strong winds and scattered power outages.
U.S. bases on the island moved to “all clear” status at 10:38 a.m. Tuesday, according to a post on Kadena Air Base’s official Facebook page.
The storm passed directly over Okinawa around 7 p.m. Monday after bringing wind gusts as high as 80 mph to Marine Corps Air Station Futenma, according to an email from Master Sgt. Sean Brown, flight chief at the 18th Wing’s weather flight at Kadena.
Jangmi weakened to a tropical storm as it moved north.
“Our quick transition to [all clear] … shows that our preparation for Typhoon Jangmi was effective,” Marine Corps Installations Pacific spokeswoman 1st Lt. Kelsey Enlow said in an email Tuesday. “Our response teams and commands have been able to return to standard operations in just a few short hours.”
Military officials reported only minor impacts across Okinawa installations.
A few small trees fell and debris was scattered at Torii Station, home to Army units on Okinawa, but no significant damage was reported, garrison spokeswoman Natalie Stanley said by email Tuesday.
White Beach Naval Facility also escaped major damage, U.S. Naval Forces Japan spokesman Cmdr. Joe Keiley said by phone that day.
No injuries to personnel or significant damage were reported at Kadena, 18th Wing spokeswoman Maj. Alli Stormer said by email Tuesday.
Maintenance workers remove a banyan tree felled by Typhoon Jangmi along Gate 2 Street in Okinawa City, Okinawa, June 2, 2026. (Keishi Koja/Stars and Stripes)
Base schools on Okinawa are scheduled to resume normal operations Wednesday.
Off base, a large banyan tree near Music Town on Gate 2 Street toppled during the storm. No buildings were damaged, and crews began removing the tree Tuesday.
The most significant disruptions involved power outages.
An undisclosed number of family housing units at Camp Courtney lost electricity Monday afternoon. The outage affected towers and quadplexes on the camp’s south end, according to residents and installation social media updates.
Navy spouse Natalia Esparza said power was lost at her ninth-floor apartment around 2 p.m. Monday. She took her two children, both younger than 2, to an off-base daycare center Tuesday to escape the heat.
“Right now, I’m glad I have bought battery operated fans, but they don’t hold a charge very long,” she said by phone Tuesday. “My daughter had a fever last night because she was overheating.”
Temperatures remained in the mid-80s with high humidity.
Sarah Sheriffs, whose family lives on Courtney, said she has experienced three power outages in six months.
“I am grateful that we have a wonderful, safe home,” she wrote Tuesday on Messenger. “I also feel that we should have reliable electricity – especially to housing areas.”
Across the island, more than 9,000 homes remained without power as of noon Tuesday, according to the Okinawa Electric Power Co.’s website.
Farther north, Yokosuka Naval Base near Tokyo raised its tropical cyclone readiness level Tuesday evening as Jangmi continued toward Japan’s main island. Base schools will be closed Wednesday as a precaution.
Check Stars and Stripes’ Pacific Storm Tracker for frequent Jangmi updates.
AloJapan.com