Typhoon Maemi
IBTrACS | |
Part of the 2003 Pacific typhoon season |
Typhoon Maemi (pronounced
The typhoon first affected the
Meteorological history

Tropical storm (39–73 mph, 63–118 km/h)
Category 1 (74–95 mph, 119–153 km/h)
Category 2 (96–110 mph, 154–177 km/h)
Category 3 (111–129 mph, 178–208 km/h)
Category 4 (130–156 mph, 209–251 km/h)
Category 5 (≥157 mph, ≥252 km/h)
Unknown

In early September 2003, a
Early on September 6, the
Around the time of peak intensity, Maemi was slowing its forward motion and began turning to the north, after the eastward-moving trough weakened the ridge.
Preparations
In Japan, the threat of the typhoon caused airlines to cancel 145 flights, mostly in and around Okinawa.[10] About 50 American army bases in Okinawa were closed, and non-essential workers were told to remain home.[11]
Before Maemi made landfall in South Korea, officials issued flood warnings along the Nakdong River due to dams opening floodgates. About 25,000 people were forced to evacuate,[7] either to schools or relatives' houses.[12] The Korea Meteorological Administration advised travelers to take precaution in advance of the storm.[13] Ferry and airplane services were canceled to Jeju island, stranding residents ahead of the Chuseok holiday.[14]
Officials in Primorsky Krai in the Russian Far East issued a storm warning, noting the potential for strong winds and heavy rainfall.[15]
Impact
Japan

Typhoon Maemi first affected the Japanese island of Miyako-jima, where gusts reached 266 km/h (165 mph), and sustained winds reached 152 km/h (94 mph). For 16 hours, excluding the 2-hour passage of the eye, the pressure fell to 912 mbar (26.9 inHg), the second-lowest on record on the island after Typhoon Sarah in 1959, and at the time the fourth lowest in all of Japan.[5] The typhoon produced heavy rainfall on Miyako-jima totaling 470 mm (19 in), of which 402.5 mm (15.85 in) fell in 24 hours, breaking the daily record. Also on the island, 58.5 mm (2.30 in) fell in one hour, and 22 mm (0.87 in) fell in just 10 minutes.[5][16] On the island, Maemi damaged 104 buildings,[16] including two severely damaged houses.[11] The storm damaged roads in 36 locations and caused a power outage,[16] affecting about 20,900 people, or 95% of the island.[17] One person on Miyako-jima died after being struck by flying glass.[18]
News agencies considered Maemi the strongest typhoon to affect Okinawa since 1968.
Shortly before Maemi made its final landfall, it produced wind gusts of 167 km/h (104 mph) at
South Korea

Since Typhoon Maemi took a path closer to the form of a parabolic, a typical pattern of typhoons from outbreak to extinction, it was relatively possible to predict its course and the possibility of landing on the Korean Peninsula was expected fairly early. The Korea Meteorological Administration officially announced the typhoon's possible landing off the southern coast of the Korean Peninsula at 5 p.m. on 10 Sep, making the news widely known through major media organizations.[30] When Typhoon Maemi struck South Korea, it caused heavy rainfall that peaked at 453 mm (17.8 in).[7] Rainfall reached 401.5 mm (15.81 in) in Namhae County,[5] and 255 mm (10.0 in) on Jeju Island.[14] The rain was less widespread and caused less flooding than Typhoon Rusa, which struck the country a year prior, but damage from Maemi was heavier due to strong winds.[31] On Jeju Island, Maemi produced a wind gust of 216 km/h (134 mph) and a minimum pressure of 950 mbar (28 inHg), both setting records for the country.[8] The winds broke the record of 210 km/h (130 mph) set by Typhoon Prapiroon in 2000,[32] and the pressure was 1.5 mbar lower than that during Typhoon Sarah in 1959,[8] which was one of the strongest storms to strike South Korea after Maemi.[7] On the South Korean mainland, the Pusan International Airport reported wind gusts of 143 km/h (89 mph).[5] Winds in Busan reached 154 km/h (96 mph), the second-highest wind speed for the city after Typhoon Thelma in 1987.[33] Due to high winds, five nuclear power plants were shut down automatically, but were ultimately unaffected.[34]
In South Korea, damage was heaviest in South Gyeongsang Province, where 71 people were killed.[35] Damage was particularly heavy in Busan, as well in as Yecheon, Ulsan, and Daegu. In Busan, strong winds wrecked 11 lifting cranes, each weighing about 900 tons,[7] which injured five people and killed two in one incident.[36][37] Many shipyards in the region were closed,[7] and initial reports estimated it would take a year to fully reopen the Busan port.[38] The estimated damage to the Busan port was about $50 million (USD),[39] causing cargo capacity to be cut by 20%.[40] High waves turned a large ship on its side in Busan, and in Ulsan the waves knocked an offshore shipbuilding plant into a petroleum facility, damaging them both.[7] Sixteen people were killed in Busan.[41]


High tides flooded hundreds of houses along the coast, particularly in areas without seawalls.
Typhoon Maemi left about 1.47 million electric customers without power around the country,
Elsewhere
Although the typhoon prompted the PAGASA to hoist warnings – and in spite of initial concerns that the cyclone would enhance monsoonal rainfall – Maemi did not cause any damage in the Philippines.[1][5]
While recurving east of Taiwan, Maemi dropped significant rainfall, peaking at 227.5 mm (8.96 in) in Ilan County.[5] The rains helped ease drought conditions and replenished parched reservoirs.[53]
In North Korea, Maemi produced about 186 mm (7.3 in) of rainfall, although further details of the storm's effects there were unknown due to press censorship.[54]
Aftermath

Following the storm, South Korean
For the month of September 2003, the
Although the South Korean government did not request international aid, several countries sent aid to the country.
As a result of the damage and deaths caused by the storm, the World Meteorological Organization retired the name Maemi in 2006 and replaced it with Mujigae.[74]
See also
- Typhoons in the Korean Peninsula
- List of retired Pacific typhoon names
- Typhoon Sanba (2012), another strong typhoon that struck South Korea
- Typhoon Neoguri (2014)
- Typhoon Chaba (2016)
- Typhoon Kong-rey (2018), took a similar track
- Typhoon Hinnamnor (2022), also struck South Korea as a strong typhoon
Notes
- ^ Tropical cyclone intensities are measured by maximum sustained winds. In the western Pacific Ocean, the Japan Meteorological Agency estimates sustained winds over a duration of 10 minutes,[2] while the Joint Typhoon Warning Center estimates sustained winds over 1 minute.[3] Winds sustained over 1 minute are roughly 12% higher than 10-minute winds.[4]
- ^ All damage totals are in 2003 values of their respective currencies.
- ^ 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.[6]
- Regional Specialized Meteorological Center for the western Pacific Ocean.[2]
- ^ a b The total was originally reported in Japanese yen. Total converted via the Oanda Corporation website.[29]
- ^ a b The total was originally reported in South Korean won. Total converted via the Oanda Corporation website.[29]
- ^ Damage totals for South Korea were provided by the Guy Carpenter reinsurance intermediary.
References
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External links
- RSMC Tokyo – Typhoon Center
- (in Japanese) Best Track Data of Typhoon Maemi (0314)
- Best Track Data (Graphics) of Typhoon Maemi (0314)
- Best Track Data (Text)
- JMA General Information of Typhoon Maemi (0314) from Digital Typhoon
- JTWC Best Track Data Archived 4 March 2016 at the Wayback Machine of Super Typhoon 15W (Maemi)
- 15W.MAEMI Archived 12 August 2014 at archive.today from the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory