Typhoon Gay (1992)
Meteorological history | |
---|---|
Formed | November 14, 1992 |
Extratropical | November 29, 1992 |
Dissipated | December 1, 1992 |
Violent typhoon | |
10-minute sustained (JMA) | |
Highest winds | 205 km/h (125 mph) |
Lowest pressure | 900 hPa (mbar); 26.58 inHg |
Category 5-equivalent super typhoon | |
1-minute sustained (SSHWS/JTWC) | |
Highest winds | 295 km/h (185 mph) |
Lowest pressure | 872 hPa (mbar); 25.75 inHg |
Overall effects | |
Fatalities | 1 total |
Damage | None |
Areas affected | Marshall Islands, Caroline Islands, Mariana Islands, Guam, Japan, Aleutian Islands |
IBTrACS | |
Part of the 1992 Pacific typhoon season |
Typhoon Gay, known in the Philippines as Typhoon Seniang, was the strongest and longest-lasting storm of the 1992 Pacific typhoon season and most intense globally in 1992. It formed on November 14 near the International Date Line from a monsoon trough, which also spawned two other systems. Typhoon Gay later moved through the Marshall Islands as an intensifying typhoon, and after passing through the country it reached its peak intensity over open waters. The Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC) estimated peak winds of 295 km/h (183 mph) and a minimum barometric pressure of 872 mb (25.8 inHg). However, the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA), which is the official warning center in the western Pacific, estimated winds of 205 km/h (127 mph), with a pressure of 900 mbar (27 inHg). Gay weakened rapidly after peaking because of interaction with another typhoon, and it struck Guam with winds of 160 km/h (99 mph) on November 23. The typhoon briefly re-intensified before weakening and becoming extratropical south of Japan on November 30.
The typhoon first affected the Marshall Islands, where 5,000 people became homeless and heavy crop damage was reported. The nation's capital of Majuro experienced power and water outages during the storm. There were no fatalities among Marshall Islands citizens, although the typhoon killed a sailor traveling around the world. When Gay struck Guam, it became the sixth typhoon of the year to affect the island. Most of the weaker structures had been destroyed during Typhoon Omar earlier in the year, resulting in little additional damage from Gay. Because of its substantial weakening, the typhoon had a disrupted inner-core and produced minimal rainfall. However, strong winds scorched the plants on Guam with saltwater, causing extensive defoliation. Further north, high waves from the typhoon destroyed a house on Saipan, and heavy rainfall in Okinawa, Japan, caused flooding and power outages.
Meteorological history
The origins of Typhoon Gay were from a tropical disturbance east of the
For most of Typhoon Gay's existence, a strong
After Gay attained its peak intensity,
Preparations and impact
Marshall Islands
Typhoon Gay first affected the Marshall Islands, striking several atolls in the archipelago with typhoon-force winds. On Mejit Island, the first island to be affected, the typhoon destroyed every wooden structure and left most of the islanders homeless. High winds downed all of the island's trees and destroyed 75% of the crops. Nearby, Ailuk Atoll experienced similar winds, though house damage was minor despite similar crop losses. The large wind field extended to the south, affecting Maloelap and Aur atolls with winds that damaged 30% of the houses and crops. Further south, the Marshall Islands capital city of Majuro experienced lightning strikes from the typhoon, which caused an island-wide power outage and cuts to the water supply and radio communication. Debris from the storm closed the Marshall Islands International Airport for two days. On Ujae Atoll, the typhoon destroyed an automated meteorological observing station that had been installed in 1989. The typhoon left over 5,000 people homeless across the country, but there were no native deaths and only one injury in the archipelago owing to well-executed warnings and preparations.[2] However, large waves from the typhoon sank a boat in a small lagoon, killing one of the boat's two sailors.[6][7]
Guam and Northern Marianas
After affecting the Marshall Islands, Gay tracked toward Guam and became the fifth typhoon to come within 110 km (68 mi) of the island in six months. Extensive preparations were made, including the sending of ships to mitigate damage[2] and flying United States Air Force planes to other bases in the region.[8] The schools, government buildings, airport, and port were closed, and about 4,300 people evacuated to storm shelters. Further north, 1,639 people evacuated to storm shelters on Saipan, which set the record for the most storm evacuees at the time.[2]
Despite weakening greatly from its peak intensity, Gay struck Guam with sustained winds of 160 km/h (99 mph), with gusts to 195 km/h (121 mph) on
Japan
While Gay was becoming
Aftermath
Marshall Islands president Amata Kabua declared nine islands as disaster areas.[2] United States president George H. W. Bush also declared the Marshall Islands a disaster area on December 16.[14] Despite being an independent nation, the Marshall Islands were eligible to the same funding from the Federal Emergency Management Agency as a U.S. state or territory.[15] The United States provided a loan of $508,245 (1994 USD) for emergency assistance and to train locals to mitigate future events. After the storm, workers near Majuro planted seeds to regrow the damaged crops.[16]
The rapid succession of typhoons in 1992 caused a significant drop in tourism in Guam.[17] During typhoons Omar and Gay, there was little communication between residents on the island. As a result, the Guam Communications Network was created to facilitate future relief efforts during storms.[18]
A research paper published ten years after the storm suggested that Gay could have been stronger than Typhoon Tip, which attained the lowest barometric pressure ever recorded. While at its peak intensity, Gay registered a rating of 8.0 for nine consecutive hours using the Dvorak technique, indicating sustained wind speeds of at least (315 km/h (196 mph). In addition, the cyclone had a significantly colder band of clouds around the eye. Typhoon Angela in 1995 presented similar features and could have been stronger than Gay. Neither of the two had direct observations into their eyes, however, making it impossible to confirm such intensity.[19]
See also
Notes
- ^ The Joint Typhoon Warning Center is a joint United States Navy – United States Air Force task force that issues tropical cyclone warnings for the western Pacific Ocean and other regions.[1]
- Regional Specialized Meteorological Center for the western Pacific Ocean.[3]
References
- ^ "Joint Typhoon Warning Center Mission Statement". Joint Typhoon Warning Center. 2011. Archived from the original on July 26, 2007. Retrieved November 30, 2011.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q 1992 Annual Tropical Cyclone Report (PDF) (Report). Joint Typhoon Warning Center. pp. 146–150. Retrieved November 28, 2011.
- ^ Annual Report on Activities of the RSMC Tokyo – Typhoon Center 2000 (PDF) (Report). Japan Meteorological Agency. February 2001. p. 3. Retrieved November 21, 2011.
- ^ a b c d e f "RSMC Best Track Data: 1990–1999" (TXT). Japan Meteorological Agency. December 25, 1992. Retrieved November 28, 2011.
- ^ a b "Best Track Data for Typhoon Gay (31W)" (TXT). Joint Typhoon Warning Center. April 5, 2011. Retrieved November 29, 2011.
- ^ Sherryl Connelly (June 3, 1999). "A Lady In Distress ... And The Lover Who Threw Her Cautions To The Wind". New York Daily News. Retrieved December 5, 2011.
- ^ "Susan Atkinson, at 49; author and sailor caught in typhoon". Boston Globe. December 2, 1992. Retrieved December 5, 2011.
- ^ "Guam, Northern Marianas Brace for Super Typhoon Gay". The Item. Associated Press. November 22, 1992. Retrieved December 5, 2011.
- ^ "Typhoon Gay Blows Ashore in Guam". The Deseret News. November 23, 1992. Retrieved January 18, 2014.
- S2CID 86384741. Archived from the original(PDF) on October 24, 2012. Retrieved December 4, 2011.
- ^ Guam Office of Civil Defense (2011). "Risk Assessment" (PDF). 2011 Guam Hazard Mitigation Plan. URS Corporation. section 5, p. 37. Archived from the original (PDF) on July 27, 2013. Retrieved December 5, 2011.
- ^ "Typhoon passes over Guam". The Daily News. Associated Press. November 23, 1992. Retrieved December 30, 2011.
- ^ Weather Disaster Report (1992-936-13) (Report) (in Japanese). Digital Typhoon. Retrieved December 5, 2011.
- ^ "Marshall Islands Typhoon Gay". Federal Emergency Management Agency. October 18, 2004. Archived from the original on January 6, 2012. Retrieved January 6, 2012.
- ^ Compacts of Free Association: Micronesia and the Marshall Islands Face Challenges in Planning for Sustainability, Measuring Progress, and Ensuring Accountability (PDF) (Report). United States Government Accountability Office. December 2006. appendix II, p. 70. GAO-07-163. Retrieved December 30, 2011.
- ^ Project Completion Report of the Emergency Typhoon Rehabilitation Assistance Program Loan and Technical Assistance Completion Report on Disaster Mitigation and Management (PDF) (Report). Asian Development Bank. November 1994. basic data, pp. ii–vi; section II, pp. 1–4; section IV, p. 8; appendix 1. Archived from the original (PDF) on January 18, 2014. Retrieved December 4, 2011.
- ^ Hideo Kobayashi, President of Japan Guam Travel Association (August 1993). Testimony of Hideo Kobayashi President, JGTA on Bill Numbers 588 and 589 (PDF) (Transcript). A collection of written testimonies on Bill Numbers 588 and 589 to the Committee on Tourism and Transportation of the Twenty-Second Guam Legislature. Guam Legislature. PDF p. 4. Retrieved December 2, 2011.
- ^ "Mission". Guam Communications Network. Archived from the original on October 3, 2011. Retrieved December 5, 2011.
- ^ Karl Hoarau; Gary Padgett & Jean-Paul Hoarau (2004). Have there been any typhoons stronger than Super Typhoon Tip? (PDF). 26th Conference on Hurricanes and Tropical Meteorology. Miami, Florida: American Meteorological Society. Retrieved December 5, 2011.