Typhoon Vera
Meteorological history | |
---|---|
Formed | September 20, 1959 |
Dissipated | September 29, 1959 |
Category 5-equivalent super typhoon | |
1-minute sustained (SSHWS/JTWC) | |
Highest winds | 305 km/h (190 mph) |
Lowest pressure | 895 hPa (mbar); 26.43 inHg |
Overall effects | |
Fatalities | 5,098 |
Damage | $261 million+ (1959 USD) |
Areas affected | Japan |
IBTrACS / [1] | |
Part of the 1959 Pacific typhoon season |
Typhoon Vera, also known as the Isewan Typhoon (伊勢湾台風, Ise-wan Taifū), was an exceptionally intense
Vera developed on September 20 between
Though Vera was accurately forecast and its track into Japan was well anticipated, limited coverage of telecommunications, combined with lack of urgency from Japanese media and the storm's intensity, greatly inhibited potential evacuation and disaster mitigation processes. Rainfall from the storm's outer
Relief efforts were initiated by Japanese and American governments immediately following Typhoon Vera. Due to the inundation caused by the typhoon, localized epidemics were reported, including those of dysentery and tetanus. The spread of disease and blocking debris slowed the ongoing relief efforts. Due to the unprecedented damage and loss of life following Vera, the National Diet passed legislation in order to more efficiently assist affected regions and mitigate future disasters. This included the passage of the Disaster Countermeasures Basic Act in 1961, which set standards for Japanese disaster relief, including the establishment of the Central Disaster Prevention Council.
Meteorological history
The origin of Typhoon Vera can be traced back to a diffuse
Early on September 22, an
Vera only maintained peak intensity for roughly twelve hours, but still remained a powerful tropical cyclone.
Impact
Name | Number | Japanese name |
---|---|---|
Louise | T4523 | Akune Typhoon (阿久根台風) |
Marie | T5415 | Tōya Maru Typhoon (洞爺丸台風) |
Ida | T5822 | Kanogawa Typhoon (狩野川台風) |
Sarah | T5914 | Miyakojima Typhoon (宮古島台風) |
Vera | T5915 | Isewan Typhoon (伊勢湾台風) |
Nancy | T6118 | 2nd Muroto Typhoon (第2室戸台風) |
Cora | T6618 | 2nd Miyakojima Typhoon (第2宮古島台風) |
Della | T6816 | 3rd Miyakojima Typhoon (第3宮古島台風) |
Babe | T7709 | Okinoerabu Typhoon (沖永良部台風) |
Faxai | T1915 | Reiwa 1 Bōsō Peninsula Typhoon (令和元年房総半島台風) |
Hagibis | T1919 | Reiwa 1 East Japan Typhoon (令和元年東日本台風) |
Despite being well forecast and tracked throughout its duration,[3] Typhoon Vera's effects were highly disastrous and long-lasting.[6] In addition to the storm's intensity, the severe damage and large death tolls were partially attributed to a lack of urgency from Japanese media in advance of Vera's landfall.[9] Though estimates for damage costs indicated totals in excess of US$261 million (equivalent to US$2.73 billion in 2023),[3] other damage estimates suggested that damage costs were as high as US$600 million (equivalent to US$6.27 billion in 2023).[10] Death tolls also remain unclear, but reports generally indicated that around 5,000 people were killed,[3][6][11] with hundreds of other persons missing.[3][11] In addition to the dead nearly 40,000 people were injured,[11] and an additional 1.6 million people were rendered homeless.[3] Countrywide approximately 834,000 homes were destroyed and roughly 210,000 ha (520,000 ac) of agricultural fields were damaged.[11] The damage wrought by Vera made it the deadliest typhoon in Japanese history, succeeding the 1934 Muroto typhoon.[12][13] Vera was also the third deadliest natural disaster in Japan during the 20th century,[6][13] only behind the Great Hanshin earthquake in 1995 and the Great Kantō earthquake in 1923.[6]
Well in advance of Vera's landfall, heavy rainfall ahead of the typhoon occurred across the Tōkai region of Japan starting on September 23,[6] when the storm reached peak intensity over open waters.[5] In Nagoya, rainfall totals reached 10 cm (4 in). In other parts of the Tōkai region, nearly 20 cm (8 in) of rain was reported. The precipitation caused flooding along several river basins in the swath of rain. Steady rainfall occurred throughout Vera's passage of Honshu, though the worst of the rain-induced flooding occurred well after the typhoon's initial landfall.[6] In Kawakami, Nara, a landslide killed 60 people after crushing 12 homes.[3]
Most of the damage associated with Vera was a result of highly destructive storm surge. At the coast, the typhoon's intensity resulted in a strong
Bloated bodies—human and cattle—float in muddy, brown floodwaters that enveloped 95 percent of Nagashima when Typhoon Vera turned the rivers into raging killers.
"Japan Counts 1,710 Dead in Wake of Typhoon Vera". The Ludington Daily News. Vol. 69, no. 276. Associated Press. September 29, 1959.
The resulting inundation caused by Vera's storm surge submerged areas around the periphery of the bay for extended periods of time, with some low-lying areas remaining underwater in excess of four months.
On the western side of Ise Bay, in Mie Prefecture, 1,233 people were killed, with approximately 5,500 others sustaining injuries.[6] Approximately 95% of Nagashima was submerged underwater.[19] Nearby Kuwuna suffered a similar fate as 80% of the city proper was flooded. There, 58 people were killed and 800 others were displaced. The towns of Kamezaki and Kamiyoshi were also wiped out by the flood inundation.[20] Further inland, in Nagano Prefecture, strong winds unroofed numerous homes.[3] The United States Air Force's Tachikawa Airfield near Tokyo sustained significant damage from the typhoon, with damage costs totaling in excess of US$1 million.[21]
Aftermath
Rank | Typhoon | Season | Fatalities | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | August 1931 China typhoon | 1931 | 300,000 | [22][23][24] |
2 | Nina | 1975 | 229,000 | [25] |
3 | July 1780 Typhoon | 1780 | 100,000 | [26] |
4 | July 1862 Typhoon | 1862 | 80,000 | [27] |
5 | "Shantou" | 1922
|
60,000 | [25] |
6 | "China" | 1912
|
50,000 | [25] |
7 | " Hong Kong "
|
1937
|
10,000 | [25] |
8 | Joan | 1964 | 7,000 | [28] |
9 | Haiyan | 2013 | 6,352 | [29] |
10 | Vera | 1959 | >5,000 | [25] |
In the immediate aftermath following Typhoon Vera, the Japanese government established a disaster headquarters in Tokyo and allocated resources to aid impacted areas. The government also set up the Central Japan Disaster Relief Department in Nagoya.
Disaster relief and mitigation reformation
The unprecedented destruction caused by Vera prompted Japanese parliament to pass legislation in order to more efficiently assist affected regions and mitigate future disasters. In October 1959, a special parliamentary session enacted several measures coordinated by various government ministries and provided subsidiaries to persons effected by Vera and other natural disasters in Japan from August and September of that year. A long lasting legislation prompted by Vera's effects was the 1961 passage of the Disaster Countermeasures Basic Act, widely regarded as the "cornerstone of legislation on disaster risk reduction in Japan." The act established the Central Disaster Prevention Council, which was set to coordinate disaster risk reduction. The legislation also mandated an annual disaster prevention plan, to be submitted to the Japanese parliament yearly. Finally, the act established September 1 as a National Disaster Prevention Day.[6]
In addition to legislative reform, the breaching of coastal flood defense systems during Vera prompted a redesign of such mechanisms. In Nagoya, regulation was created for coastal construction and their heights. Development of flood defenses in Ise, Osaka, and Tokyo bays was also set into motion. The heights of such defense systems were based on worst-case scenarios and maximum storm surge heights caused by the typhoon.[6]
See also
- 1934 Muroto typhoon – deadliest typhoon in Japan prior to Vera
- Typhoon Nancy (1961) – similarly strong tropical cyclone that caused extensive damage, primarily in Osaka; also known as the 2nd Muroto typhoon
- Typhoon Mireille (1991) – the costliest typhoon in Japanese history, adjusted for inflation
- Typhoon Yancy (1993) – strong typhoon that caused considerable damage in Kyushu
- Typhoon Ma-on (2004) – a powerful typhoon that produced record breaking wind gusts across Tokyo Metropolitan Area
- United States Gulf Coast
- Typhoon Haiyan (2013) – caused similar devastation in the Philippines, particularly in the Visayas, also had similar peak strength
- Typhoon Jebi (2018) – the costliest typhoon in Japanese history in terms of insured losses
- Typhoon Hagibis (2019) – the costliest typhoon in Japanese history, unadjusted for inflation
References
- ^ 1959 伊勢湾台風 - 災害教訓の継承に関する専門調査会報告書
- ^ "Ise Bay typhoon of 1959". Encyclopaedia Britannica.
- ^ San Francisco, California: Joint Typhoon Warning Center. Archived from the original(PDF) on February 21, 2013. Retrieved January 1, 2014.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j National Climatic Data Center. "1959 VERA (1959263N11160)". International Best Track Archive for Climate Stewardship. Asheville, North Carolina: University of North Carolina at Asheville. Archived from the original on January 6, 2016. Retrieved January 1, 2014.
- ^ a b c d Japan Meteorological Agency. "Japan Meteorological Agency Best Track Database" (TXT). National Climatic Data Center. Retrieved January 1, 2014.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v Donovan, Matthew; Grossi, Patricia (2009). Ericksen, Shelly (ed.). 1959 Super Typhoon Vera: 50-Year Retrospective (PDF) (Report). Risk Management Solutions, Inc. Archived from the original (PDF) on January 4, 2014. Retrieved January 1, 2014.
- ^ Miami, Florida: United States National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's National Weather Service. Retrieved January 2, 2014.
- ^ "気象庁が名称を定めた気象・地震・火山現象一覧" (in Japanese). Japan Meteorological Agency. Retrieved February 20, 2020.
- ^ a b c d e f Oda, Hideaki. "Typhoon Isewan (Vera) And Its Lessons" (PDF). Tokyo, Japan: Japan Water Forum. Archived from the original (PDF) on November 10, 2013. Retrieved January 2, 2014.
- ^ Emergency Events Database (2009). "EMDAT Disaster List". Centre for Research on the Epidemiology of Disasters. Archived from the original on February 3, 2014. Retrieved January 2, 2014.
- ^ a b c d e KITAMOTO Asanobu. "Typhoon 195915 (VERA)". Digital Typhoon. National Institute of Informatics. Retrieved January 2, 2014.
- ^ a b c Cary, James (September 30, 1959). "Typhoon Vera Officially Japan's Worst Storm". The Florence Times. Vol. 100, no. 183. Florence, Alabama. Associated Press. p. 4. Retrieved January 2, 2014.
- ^ a b KITAMOTO Asanobu. "Typhoon Damage List". Digital Typhoon. National Institute of Informatics. Retrieved January 2, 2014.
- ^ "5-Year Scar Left By Typhoon Vera". Milwaukee Sentinel. Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Associated Press. October 12, 1959. p. 6. Retrieved January 3, 2014.
- ^ a b c "Death Toll 1544 in Typhoon Vera". The Spokesman-Review. Vol. 77, no. 138. Spokane, Washington. Reuters. September 29, 1959. p. 3. Retrieved January 2, 2014.
- ^ a b "Typhoon Vera Will Boost Pearl Prices". Schenectady Gazette. Vol. 66, no. 112. Schenectady, New York. United Press International. February 8, 1960. p. 14. Retrieved January 2, 2014.
- ^ "Fear 2,500 Dead In Japan". The Lewiston Daily Sun. Vol. 67. Lewiston-Auburn, Maine. Associated Press. September 28, 1959. pp. 1, 12. Retrieved January 2, 2014.
- ^ "Typhoon Vera May Prove Worst Japanese Disaster". Spartanburg Herald-Journal. Vol. 69, no. 42. Spartanburg, South Carolina. Associated Press. September 27, 1959. p. A-5. Retrieved January 2, 2014.
- ^ "Japan Counts 1,710 Dead in Wake of Typhoon Vera". The Ludington Daily News. Vol. 69, no. 276. Ludington, Michigan. Associated Press. September 29, 1959. Retrieved January 3, 2014.
- ^ "2600 Dead, Missing As Typhoon Slashes Disaster Upon Japan". Lodi News-Sentinel. Lodi, California. United Press International. September 28, 1959. p. 1. Retrieved January 3, 2014.
- ^ a b "Typhoon Vera Slashes Japan". Sarasota Herald-Tribune. Vol. 34, no. 358. Sarasota, Florida. United Press International. September 28, 1959. pp. 1–2. Retrieved January 2, 2014.
- ^ "History's worst flood finally revealed". www.chinadaily.com.cn.
- ISBN 9781108284936.
- ^ "Flood Horror". Geraldton Guardian and Express. September 1931.
- ^ a b c d e "The Worst Natural Disasters by Death Toll" (PDF). National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. 2009. Retrieved January 2, 2012.
- doi:10.1002/wea.275.
- ^ Huang, G; Yim, Wyxx W-S. "Reconstruction of an 8,000-year record of Typhoons in the Pearl River Estuary, China" (PDF). HKU Scholars Hub.
- ^ Associated Press (November 16, 1964). "Another Typhoon Descends on Flood Stricken Vietnam". The Milwaukee Journal. p. 2. Retrieved March 11, 2010.
- ^ SitRep No.108 re Effects of Typhoon YOLANDA (HAIYAN) (PDF) (Report). National Reduction Risk Reduction And Management Council. April 3, 2014. Retrieved December 2, 2014.
External links
- An eyewitness account
- Joint Typhoon Warning Center Archived August 9, 2015, at the Wayback Machine
- Japan Meteorological Center
- Record of Isewan typhoon on YouTube– Nagoya city created in 1960.
- Digital Typhoon: Typhoon195915 (VERA) - National Institute of Informatics