Typhoon Olga (1999)

Typhoon Olga, also known in the Philippines as Typhoon Ising was a typhoon that hit Korean Peninsula in 1999. Olga killed 64 people in North and South Korea.

Typhoon Olga
Typhoon (JMA scale)
Category 1 typhoon (SSHWS)
Typhoon Olga (August 1)
FormedJuly 29, 1999
DissipatedAugust 3, 1999
Highest winds10-minute sustained: 120 km/h (75 mph)
1-minute sustained: 150 km/h (90 mph)
Lowest pressure970 hPa (mbar); 28.64 inHg
Fatalities106 total
Damage$657 million (1999 USD)
Areas affectedCaroline Islands, Ryukyu Islands and Korea
Part of the 1999 Pacific typhoon season

Meteorological history
Map plotting the track and the intensity of the storm, according to the Saffir–Simpson scale

On July 26, a disturbance began to develop at the eastern end of a well-defined monsoon trough well to the east of the Philippines. The convection within the disturbance increased as it moved to the north and Tropical Depression 11W formed on July 29. The system continued to intensify, becoming Typhoon Olga two days later as it approached Okinawa. On August 1 Olga made landfall on the Japanese island as a typhoon, weakening slightly as it passed over the island. As it moved to the north-northwest it intensified to its peak with 150 km/h (90 mph) winds as it approached Korea. The storm was beginning to weaken as it passed to the west of Cheju Island on August 3 and it made a second brief landfall on the T'aean Peninsula before moving north in the Yellow Sea. The storm made its final landfall in North Korea as a strong tropical storm later that day with 100 km/h (65 mph) winds and became extratropical soon after.[1] Both the JMA and PAGASA considered Olga a typhoon, with PAGASA naming the storm Ising before the JTWC issued its first warning on the developing system.[2]

Impact

Although Typhoon Olga never approached the Philippines closely, it was responsible for heavy rains over much of Luzon that killed 160 people and displaced 80,000.[3] Olga passed over Okinawa, with winds of 80 km/h (50 mph) recorded at Kadena Air Base, causing minimal damage.[4] Torrential rain of up to 600 mm (24 inches) fell on the Korean Peninsula, with the highest totals falling near the border between North and South Korea.[5] The resulting floods and landslides caused 64 fatalities in South Korea and wind gusts of 96 km/h (60 mph) were reported near Seoul.[4] The flooding in South Korea destroyed about 400 km2 (150 sq mi) of rice paddies and 8,500 homes, leaving 25,000 people homeless.[6] The Red Cross reported a further 42 deaths and 40,000 were made homeless from flooding in North Korea. That same flooding worsened the ongoing food shortages across the country.[7] Typhoon Olga brought the heaviest rains recorded in Korea for 25 years and caused a total of $657 million of damage in South Korea.[3]

See also

References
  1. Joint Typhoon Warning Center. "Typhoon Olga (11W)" (PDF). 1999 Annual Tropical Cyclone Report. p. 56. Retrieved August 19, 2013.
  2. Padgett, Gary. "Monthly Global Tropical Cyclone Summary: July 1999". Archived from the original on March 23, 2007. Retrieved February 17, 2007.
  3. Dartmouth Flood Observatory. "1999 Flood Archive". Retrieved February 18, 2007.
  4. Joint Typhoon Warning Center. "Typhoon Olga (11W)" (PDF). 1999 Annual Tropical Cyclone Report. p. 56. Retrieved August 19, 2013.
  5. USDA; NOAA (August 10, 1999). "Weekly Weather and Crop Bulletin" (PDF). p. 29. Archived from the original (pdf) on September 16, 2006. Retrieved February 17, 2007.
  6. Padgett, Gary. "Monthly Global Tropical Cyclone Summary: July 1999". Archived from the original on March 23, 2007. Retrieved February 17, 2007.
  7. Staff Writer (August 6, 1999). "High alert as typhoon threatens". BBC. Retrieved February 18, 2007.
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