Cyclone Waka
Category 4 severe tropical cyclone (Aus scale) | |
---|---|
Category 3 tropical cyclone (SSHWS) | |
Formed | December 19, 2001 |
Dissipated | January 2, 2002 |
Highest winds | 10-minute sustained: 185 km/h (115 mph) 1-minute sustained: 185 km/h (115 mph) Gusts: 250 km/h (155 mph) |
Lowest pressure | 930 hPa (mbar); 27.46 inHg |
Fatalities | 1 indirect |
Damage | $51.4 million (2002 Vava'u, and New Zealand |
Part of the 2001–02 South Pacific cyclone season |
Severe Tropical Cyclone Waka (
Although the storm affected several countries along its path, Waka left the most significant losses in Tonga, where it killed one person and wrought 104.2 million paʻanga ($51.3 million USD) in damage. Hundreds of structures, including 200 in the island's largest city, and much of the nation's agriculture were destroyed. Winds in excess of 185 km/h (115 mph) battered Vava'u, defoliating nearly every tree on the island. In addition to infrastructural and public losses, the environment was also severely affected; a native species of bat lost roughly 80% of its population due to the lack of fruit. Following the storm, Tonga requested international aid to cope with the scale of damage. Due to the severity of damage, the name Waka was later retired and replaced with Wiki. According to a study by Janet Franklin et al., storms similar in intensity to Waka, on average, strike Tonga once every 33 years.[1]
Meteorological history
In mid-December 2001, at the end of a
Tracking towards the southwest in response to a mid-level
Continuing into the new year, Waka gradually weakened on January 1, 2002, as it entered a less favorable region for tropical cyclones. As a result, wind shear displaced convection from the center and its eyewall broke apart. Moving over decreasing sea surface temperatures, Waka began to undergo an extratropical transition, which it completed on January 2.[2] Tracking southeastward, the remnant cyclone briefly slowed over open waters before again accelerating. Over the following few days, the system gradually weakened, with sustained winds decreasing below gale-force by January 5. The storm was last noted on January 6 near the Southern Ocean, about 2,200 km (1,400 mi) north-northwest of Antarctica, at which time it had a pressure of 972 mbar (972 hPa; 28.7 inHg).[7]
Preparations and impact
Precipitation | Storm | Location | Ref. | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Rank | mm | in | |||
1 | 674.9 | 26.57 | Raja 1986 | Maopoopo, Futuna Island | [8] |
2 | 556.7 | 21.92 | Fran 1992 | Hihifo, Wallis Island | [8] |
3 | 291.2 | 11.46 | Val 1975 |
Hihifo, Wallis Island | [8] |
4 | 220.6 | 8.69 | Hina 1997 | Maopoopo, Futuna Island | [8] |
5 | 186.0 | 7.32 | Evan 2012 | Futuna Island | [8] |
6 | 180.0 | 7.09 | Val 1980 |
Maopoopo, Futuna Island | [8] |
7 | 171.6 | 6.76 | Keli 1997 | Hihifo, Wallis Island | [8] |
8 | 160.8 | 6.33 | Unnamed 1966 | Malaetoli, Wallis Island | [8] |
9 | 160.0 | 6.30 | Amos 2016 | Hihifo, Wallis Island | [9] |
10 | 119.0 | 4.69 | Waka 2001 | Hihifo, Wallis Island | [8] |
Tonga
On December 30, just a day before Waka passed through Tonga, warnings were issued for numerous islands, including parts of
When the storm was moving through the islands of Tonga at peak strength, a few islands recorded
Initial reports from Nukuʻalofa on December 31 indicated severe agricultural damage but few infrastructural losses.
According to damage surveys, 13 of the country's islands sustained damage;
Elsewhere
During the cyclone's formative stages, it brought significant winds and swells to
After moving through the Tongan islands, the remnants of Waka brought large swells, estimated up to 2.5 m (8.2 ft), to the North Island of New Zealand. Thousands of residents and tourists were in the region following the New Year's holiday. Meteorologists warned that the oceans would be increasingly dangerous and advised people not to venture into the water. Every lifeguard in Whangamatā, as well as former lifeguards, were called in to assist in keeping an estimated 8,000 people out of the water.[32] Although most people stayed within a designated swimming area, several rescues had to be made.[33] Rip currents also pulled 38 people out to sea in Mount Maunganui Main Beach; all were quickly rescued by lifeguards.[34]
Aftermath
Within a day of Cyclone Waka's passage in Tonga, the
Further funds came from the
Vava'u suffered a tremendous decrease in agricultural exports due to Waka, dropping 86.5% from the previous year.[49] Despite substantial agricultural losses, the sector ended up expanding roughly 2% by the end of 2002 and the overall economy grew by 2.9%.[50] Owing to the severity of damage wrought by the cyclone, the World Meteorological Organization retired the name Waka following its using.[51]
See also
References
General
- Tonga, 2002 Article IV consultation: staff report, public information notice on the Executive Board discussion, and statement by the Executive Director for Tonga. International Monetary Fund. 2003.
- Small States: Economic Review & Basic Statistics. Commonwealth Secretariat. 2004. ISBN 978-0-85092-794-8.
- Report of the Ministry of Agriculture for the year 2002. Tonga. Ministry of Agriculture. 2002.
Specific
- ^ S2CID 84946016. Retrieved December 4, 2010.
- ^ a b c d e f g h Jonty D. Hall (2004). "The South Pacific and southeast Indian Ocean tropical cyclone season 2001–02" (PDF). Australian Meteorology Magazine. 53 (4). Queensland Regional Office, Bureau of Meteorology, Australia: 285–304. Archived from the original (PDF) on July 6, 2011. Retrieved December 5, 2010.
- ^ a b c d e Gary Padgett (May 24, 2002). "Monthly Tropical Weather Summary for December 2001". Typhoon 2000. Archived from the original (TXT) on January 17, 2013. Retrieved December 4, 2010.
- ^ Joint Typhoon Warning Center (2002). "2001 Annual Tropical Cyclone Report" (PDF). United States Navy. Archived from the original (PDF) on February 21, 2013. Retrieved December 5, 2010.
- ^ Gary Padgett (January 21, 2002). "Monthly Tropical Cyclone Tracks for December 2001" (TXT). Typhoon 2000. Retrieved December 5, 2010.
- ^ a b Joint Typhoon Warning Center (2003). "Tropical Cyclone 07P (Waka) Best Track". United States Navy. Archived from the original (TXT) on October 4, 2013. Retrieved December 5, 2010.
- ^ a b MetService (May 22, 2009). "TCWC Wellington Best Track Data 1967–2006". International Best Track Archive for Climate Stewardship.[permanent dead link]
- ^ a b c d e f g h i "Wallis and Futuna Cyclone Passes De 1880 à nos jours" [Wallis and Futuna Cyclone Passes From 1880 to the present day] (in French). Meteo France New Caledonia. Retrieved January 2, 2017.
- ^ "Cyclone Amos: les Samoa ravagées" [Cyclone Amos: ravaged Samoa]. Meteo (in French). Retrieved April 24, 2016.
- ^ "Severe cyclone bearing down on South Pacific islands". United Nations. ReliefWeb. Agence France-Presse. December 30, 2001. Retrieved December 2, 2010.
- ^ "South Pacific cyclone intensifies — Tonga at risk". United Nations. ReliefWeb. Agence France-Presse. December 31, 2001. Retrieved April 13, 2011.
- ^ Paul Yandall (January 1, 2002). "Tonga battens down as Cyclone Waka roars in". The New Zealand Herald. Retrieved December 2, 2010.
- Wellington, New Zealand. January 2, 2002.
- ^ "Cyclone Waka Batters Tonga". The Press. Wellington, New Zealand. January 2, 2002.
- ^ a b c East-West Center (January 3, 2002). "Damage from Cyclone Waka to Vava'u runs in millions of Pa'anga". United Nations. ReliefWeb. Retrieved April 13, 2011.
- ^ United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (December 31, 2010). "Tonga — Tropical Cyclone Waka OCHA Situation Report No. 1". ReliefWeb. Retrieved April 13, 2011.
- ^ "Tongas northern group hit by cyclone — heavy damage feared". United Nations. ReliefWeb. Agence France-Presse. January 1, 2002. Retrieved December 2, 2010.
- ^ a b Deutsche Presse Agentur (January 1, 2002). "New Zealand Air Force sending plane to check Tonga cyclone damage". United Nations. ReliefWeb. Retrieved April 13, 2011.
- ^ "Red Cross seeks food aid after Tonga cyclone". United Nations. ReliefWeb. Reuters. January 3, 2002. Retrieved December 2, 2010.
- ^ Paul Yandall (January 2, 2002). "Battered Tonga struggles to mop up". The New Zealand Herald. Retrieved December 3, 2010.
- ^ S2CID 86010717. Retrieved December 4, 2010.
- ^ a b "New Zealand to give Tonga 700,000 dollars for cyclone relief". Radio New Zealand International. January 8, 2002.
- ^ Emily McKenzie; Biman Prasad; Atu Kaloumaira (May 2005). "Economic Impact of Natural Disaster on Development in the Pacific" (PDF). Australian Agency for International Development. p. 65. Archived from the original (PDF) on March 11, 2012. Retrieved December 3, 2010.
- ^ Center for Research on the Epidemiology of Disasters (2010). "International Disaster Database: Disaster List". Archived from the original on September 23, 2010. Retrieved December 3, 2010.
- ^ United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (January 23, 2002). "OCHA Situation Report No. 2". Center for International Disaster Information. Archived from the original on September 27, 2011. Retrieved December 5, 2010.
- ^ a b "RA V Tropical Cyclone Committee for the South Pacific and South-East Indian Ocean Ninth Session: Final Report" (PDF). World Meteorological Organization. May 20, 2002. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 19, 2005. Retrieved June 29, 2013.
- ^ "American Samoa Event Report: High Wind". National Climatic Data Center. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. 2013. Retrieved June 29, 2013.
- ^ "American Samoa Event Report: High Surf". National Climatic Data Center. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. 2013. Retrieved June 29, 2013.
- ^ "American Samoa Event Report: High Surf". National Climatic Data Center. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. 2013. Retrieved June 29, 2013.
- ^ RSMC Nadi — Tropical Cyclone Centre. "Tropical Cyclone Summary 2001–2002 Season" (PDF). Fiji Meteorological Service. Archived from the original (PDF) on June 29, 2010. Retrieved February 17, 2011.
- ^ "Cyclones passés" (in French). Météo-France. 2010. Archived from the original on February 17, 2011. Retrieved January 5, 2011.
- ^ "Cyclone whips up surf scare on beaches". The New Zealand Herald. January 4, 2002. Retrieved December 3, 2010.
- ^ Josie Clark (January 5, 2002). "Big waves create busy day for lifeguards". The New Zealand Herald. Retrieved December 3, 2010.
- ^ "38 swimmers rescued off Mt. Maunganui Beach". The New Zealand Herald. January 5, 2002. Retrieved December 3, 2010.
- ^ "The FRANZ Agreement". Embassy of France in Papua New Guinea. 2010. Archived from the original on September 14, 2009. Retrieved December 3, 2019.
- ^ Australian Broadcasting Corporation (January 2, 2002). "Tongan authorities assess damage from cyclone Waka". ReliefWeb. Retrieved December 2, 2010.
- ^ a b Staff Writer (April 10, 2002). "Tonga ships food to Niuas". Marianas Variety. Archived from the original on March 11, 2012. Retrieved February 19, 2011.
- ^ Francesca Mold (January 7, 2002). "Tonga picks up the pieces left by Cyclone Waka". The New Zealand Herald. Retrieved December 3, 2010.
- ^ "New Zealand air force drops off relief supplies to cyclone-hit Tonga". BBC News. January 12, 2002.
- ^ "NZ offers $700,000 to Tonga". The Press. Wellington, New Zealand. January 9, 2002.
- ^ Pacific Islands Broadcasting Association (January 17, 2002). "Tonga: US donates $25k for cyclone relief". ReliefWeb. Retrieved December 3, 2002.
- ^ "Annual Report for the 2002 Fiscal Year" (PDF). United States Agency for International Development. 2002. Archived from the original (PDF) on March 4, 2012. Retrieved December 24, 2010.
- ^ Pacific Islands Broadcasting Association (January 21, 2002). "Tahiti approves US$770,000 Tonga aid package". ReliefWeb. Retrieved December 3, 2010.
- ^ Paul Yandall (January 3, 2002). "NZ ready with food for Tonga". The New Zealand Herald. Retrieved April 2, 2011.
- ^ United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (February 6, 2002). "Tropical Cyclone Waka OCHA Situation Report No. 3". ReliefWeb. Retrieved December 3, 2010.
- ^ "The UMCOR Hotline". United Methodist Committee on Relief. March 1, 2002. Archived from the original on June 29, 2011. Retrieved December 24, 2010.
- ^ Unattributed (March 18, 2002). "CWS helps vulnerable families rebuild cyclone-destroyed houses in Tonga". Church World Service. ReliefWeb. Retrieved December 3, 2010.
- ^ International Monetary Fund, p. 5
- ^ Tonga Ministry of Agriculture, p. 172
- ^ Commonwealth Secretariat, p. 20
- ^ RA V Tropical Cyclone Committee (2023). Tropical Cyclone Operational Plan for the South-East Indian Ocean and the Southern Pacific Ocean 2023 (PDF) (Report). World Meteorological Organization. Retrieved October 23, 2023.
External links
- World Meteorological Organization
- Australian Bureau of Meteorology
- Fiji Meteorological Service
- New Zealand MetService
- Joint Typhoon Warning Center