Tropical Cyclone Trina
Encyclopedia
Tropical Cyclone Trina was a weak but destructive tropical cyclone
which caused some of the worst flooding in the South Pacific
island of Mangaia
, Cook Islands
, in nearly 50 years. Forming out of an upper-level low pressure system
on November 30 near the island of Rarotonga
, or roughly 1,470 mi (2,365 km) southeast of Fiji
, Trina remained practically stationary as it meandered in the same general area for over a week. Due to unfavorable conditions for tropical cyclogenesis
, the storm struggled to develop significant convection
, preventing it from intensifying beyond 65 km/h (40 mph). After finally succumbing to wind shear
on December 2, the system weakened to a tropical depression near Mangaia and dissipated several days later.
As a result of the cyclone's slow movement, heavy rains impacted the same area for more than a week, resulting in severe flooding. Throughout Mangaia, nearly 90% of the islands' staple crop was lost and about 60% of the livestock perished. Following an assessment of the damage, it was determined that US$
52,000 was needed to repair losses. Due to the severity of damage caused by Trina, its name was retired in May 2002 and replaced with Tino.
in Nadi, Fiji, the Fiji Meteorological Service
(FMS), on November 18, 2001 as an upper-level low
west of Rarotonga
, an island situated roughly 2,355 km (1,465 mi) east-southeast of Fiji
. Little development took place over the following ten days as the low gradually made its way to the surface. Situated in a region of relatively low wind shear
, the system acquired subtropical characteristics
before deep convection
formed around its center. Late on November 29, the FMS upgraded the low to a tropical depression and assigned it the identifier 01F. However, the system later entered an area unfavorable to tropical cyclogenesis
, consisting of increasing shear and marginally warm sea surface temperatures, estimated between 26 and 27 °C (78.8 and 80.6 F). Drifting westward, convection managed to increase despite unfavorable conditions, as the low passed roughly 45 km (30 mi) southwest of Rarotonga on November 30. Later that day, the Joint Typhoon Warning Center
(JTWC) issued a Tropical Cyclone Formation Alert
, stating a "good" chance of the system becoming a tropical cyclone within 48 hours. Although the center remained partially devoid of convective activity, the system was declared Tropical Depression 06P by the agency within hours of the alert.
Later on November 30, the depression further intensified into a tropical cyclone and was given the name Trina by the FMS. At this time, gale-force winds were only present in one quadrant of the storm. In previous years, gale-force winds had to be present all around the center for the system to receive a name. Upon receiving its name, Trina attained its peak intensity with winds of 65 km/h (40 mph) along with a barometric pressure of 995 mbar
(hPa
; 29.38 inHg). Remaining nearly stationary, Trina succumbed to strong wind shear during the evening of November 30. The JTWC only classified Trina as a tropical storm for 12 hours before downgrading the system and issuing their final advisory early on December 1. However, according to the FMS, the system retained gale-force winds through December 2, by which time it was situated about 70 km (45 mi) northwest of Mangaia
. Now significantly displaced from any convective activity, the remnants of Trina persisted in the same general area for several more days before completely dissipating.
were placed under a cyclone alert. Gale warnings were also put in place for the islands of Rarotonga and Mangaia for several days. Several Air New Zealand
and many social events were canceled to ensure public safety. Due to the low intensity of the storm, the main threat was not wind damage, although gusts up to 100 km/h (65 mph) were reported in Rarotonga. Owing to the slow movement of the storm, heavy rains associated with Trina fell on Mangaia for nearly eight days, resulting in widespread flooding. Parts of the island were inundated with up to 2 m (6.6 ft) of water, destroying nearly 95% of the taro
crop and drowning numerous livestock. Several of the islands' main roads were washed out and a few reports of landslide
s were made.
The flooding on Mangaia was regarded as the worst in almost 50 years, as nearly the entire island was affected. According to locals, the ocean surrounding the island became red at one point due to the amount of soil being washed out to sea. Despite initial reports that the local water supply was contaminated, the International Federation of Red Cross And Red Crescent Societies
(IFRC) stated that it was safe to drink and there was a sufficient amount for all of the islands' 744 residents. Offshore, a sailboat was severely damaged by large swells
produced by the storm and was on the verge of sinking. The sailor managed to secure the vessel and make it safely to shore.
The flooding on Mangaia persisted for nearly a week before finally subsiding. Once the waters receded, the full extent of damage was revealed. Although only minor structural damage was sustained, the agricultural sector received extensive losses. Nearly 90% of the islands' staple crop was lost and about 60% of all the livestock perished. Following an assessment made by the Cook Islands National Disaster Management Council, it was determined that US$52,000 was needed to repair losses from Trina. International assistance from the United Nations
was eventually requested on December 12, allowing for relief funds from several agencies to be delivered to the area. Fears of food shortages also prompted the local government to begin stockpiling food should it become a necessary relief supply. A total of US$24,140 was committed in relief funds by New Zealand
, Norway
and the United Nations to assist the Cook Islands in recovering from the storm. By late-December, an additional F$20,000 (US$11,000) was distributed by the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat to the affected islands. In the months following Cyclone Trina, debris removal and cleanup was relatively slow, delaying efforts to replant crops lost in the floods. Food shortage issues became apparent in February 2002, prompting the IFRC to distribute food to all of Mangaia's residents.
Due to the severity of damage caused by Trina, its name was retired in May 2002 and replaced with Tino.
Tropical cyclone
A tropical cyclone is a storm system characterized by a large low-pressure center and numerous thunderstorms that produce strong winds and heavy rain. Tropical cyclones strengthen when water evaporated from the ocean is released as the saturated air rises, resulting in condensation of water vapor...
which caused some of the worst flooding in the South Pacific
Pacific Ocean
The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth's oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic in the north to the Southern Ocean in the south, bounded by Asia and Australia in the west, and the Americas in the east.At 165.2 million square kilometres in area, this largest division of the World...
island of Mangaia
Mangaia
Mangaia is the most southerly of the Cook Islands and the second largest, after Rarotonga.-Geography:...
, Cook Islands
Cook Islands
The Cook Islands is a self-governing parliamentary democracy in the South Pacific Ocean in free association with New Zealand...
, in nearly 50 years. Forming out of an upper-level low pressure system
Cold-core low
A cold-core low, also known as a cold low or cold-core cyclone, is a cyclone aloft which has an associated cold pool of air residing at high altitude within the Earth's troposphere. It is a low pressure system which strengthens with height in accordance with the thermal wind relationship. These...
on November 30 near the island of Rarotonga
Rarotonga
Rarotonga is the most populous island of the Cook Islands, with a population of 14,153 , out of the country's total population of 19,569.The Cook Islands' Parliament buildings and international airport are on Rarotonga...
, or roughly 1,470 mi (2,365 km) southeast of Fiji
Fiji
Fiji , officially the Republic of Fiji , is an island nation in Melanesia in the South Pacific Ocean about northeast of New Zealand's North Island...
, Trina remained practically stationary as it meandered in the same general area for over a week. Due to unfavorable conditions for tropical cyclogenesis
Tropical cyclogenesis
Tropical cyclogenesis is the term that describes the development and strengthening of a tropical cyclone in the atmosphere. The mechanisms through which tropical cyclogenesis occurs are distinctly different from those through which mid-latitude cyclogenesis occurs...
, the storm struggled to develop significant convection
Atmospheric convection
Atmospheric convection is the result of a parcel-environment instability, or temperature difference, layer in the atmosphere. Different lapse rates within dry and moist air lead to instability. Mixing of air during the day which expands the height of the planetary boundary layer leads to...
, preventing it from intensifying beyond 65 km/h (40 mph). After finally succumbing to wind shear
Wind shear
Wind shear, sometimes referred to as windshear or wind gradient, is a difference in wind speed and direction over a relatively short distance in the atmosphere...
on December 2, the system weakened to a tropical depression near Mangaia and dissipated several days later.
As a result of the cyclone's slow movement, heavy rains impacted the same area for more than a week, resulting in severe flooding. Throughout Mangaia, nearly 90% of the islands' staple crop was lost and about 60% of the livestock perished. Following an assessment of the damage, it was determined that US$
United States dollar
The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies....
52,000 was needed to repair losses. Due to the severity of damage caused by Trina, its name was retired in May 2002 and replaced with Tino.
Meteorological history
Tropical Cyclone Trina was identified by the Regional Specialized Meteorological CenterRegional Specialized Meteorological Center
A Regional Specialized Meteorological Centre is responsible for the distribution of information, advisories, and warnings regarding the specific program they have a part of, agreed by consensus at the World Meteorological Organization as part of the World Weather Watch.-Tropical...
in Nadi, Fiji, the Fiji Meteorological Service
Fiji Meteorological Service
The Fiji Meteorological Service is a Department of the government of Fiji responsible for providing weather forecasts and is based in Nadi. Since 1995, FMS has been responsible for naming and tracking tropical cyclones in the Southwest Pacific region...
(FMS), on November 18, 2001 as an upper-level low
Upper tropospheric cyclonic vortex
An upper tropospheric cyclonic vortex is a vortex, or a circulation with a definable center, that usually moves slowly from east-northeast to west-southwest and is prevalent across Northern Hemisphere's warm season. Its circulations generally do not extend below in altitude, as it is an example...
west of Rarotonga
Rarotonga
Rarotonga is the most populous island of the Cook Islands, with a population of 14,153 , out of the country's total population of 19,569.The Cook Islands' Parliament buildings and international airport are on Rarotonga...
, an island situated roughly 2,355 km (1,465 mi) east-southeast of Fiji
Fiji
Fiji , officially the Republic of Fiji , is an island nation in Melanesia in the South Pacific Ocean about northeast of New Zealand's North Island...
. Little development took place over the following ten days as the low gradually made its way to the surface. Situated in a region of relatively low wind shear
Wind shear
Wind shear, sometimes referred to as windshear or wind gradient, is a difference in wind speed and direction over a relatively short distance in the atmosphere...
, the system acquired subtropical characteristics
Subtropical cyclone
A subtropical cyclone is a weather system that has some characteristics of a tropical and an extratropical cyclone. As early as the 1950s, meteorologists were unclear whether they should be characterized as tropical or extratropical cyclones. They were officially recognized by the National...
before deep convection
Atmospheric convection
Atmospheric convection is the result of a parcel-environment instability, or temperature difference, layer in the atmosphere. Different lapse rates within dry and moist air lead to instability. Mixing of air during the day which expands the height of the planetary boundary layer leads to...
formed around its center. Late on November 29, the FMS upgraded the low to a tropical depression and assigned it the identifier 01F. However, the system later entered an area unfavorable to tropical cyclogenesis
Tropical cyclogenesis
Tropical cyclogenesis is the term that describes the development and strengthening of a tropical cyclone in the atmosphere. The mechanisms through which tropical cyclogenesis occurs are distinctly different from those through which mid-latitude cyclogenesis occurs...
, consisting of increasing shear and marginally warm sea surface temperatures, estimated between 26 and 27 °C (78.8 and 80.6 F). Drifting westward, convection managed to increase despite unfavorable conditions, as the low passed roughly 45 km (30 mi) southwest of Rarotonga on November 30. Later that day, the Joint Typhoon Warning Center
Joint Typhoon Warning Center
The Joint Typhoon Warning Center is a joint United States Navy – United States Air Force task force located at the Naval Maritime Forecast Center in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii...
(JTWC) issued a Tropical Cyclone Formation Alert
Tropical Cyclone Formation Alert
A Tropical Cyclone Formation Alert is a bulletin released by the U.S. Navy-operated Joint Typhoon Warning Center in Honolulu, Hawaii or the Naval Maritime Forecast Center in Norfolk, Virginia, warning of the possibility of a tropical cyclone forming from a tropical disturbance that has been...
, stating a "good" chance of the system becoming a tropical cyclone within 48 hours. Although the center remained partially devoid of convective activity, the system was declared Tropical Depression 06P by the agency within hours of the alert.
Later on November 30, the depression further intensified into a tropical cyclone and was given the name Trina by the FMS. At this time, gale-force winds were only present in one quadrant of the storm. In previous years, gale-force winds had to be present all around the center for the system to receive a name. Upon receiving its name, Trina attained its peak intensity with winds of 65 km/h (40 mph) along with a barometric pressure of 995 mbar
Bar (unit)
The bar is a unit of pressure equal to 100 kilopascals, and roughly equal to the atmospheric pressure on Earth at sea level. Other units derived from the bar are the megabar , kilobar , decibar , centibar , and millibar...
(hPa
Pascal (unit)
The pascal is the SI derived unit of pressure, internal pressure, stress, Young's modulus and tensile strength, named after the French mathematician, physicist, inventor, writer, and philosopher Blaise Pascal. It is a measure of force per unit area, defined as one newton per square metre...
; 29.38 inHg). Remaining nearly stationary, Trina succumbed to strong wind shear during the evening of November 30. The JTWC only classified Trina as a tropical storm for 12 hours before downgrading the system and issuing their final advisory early on December 1. However, according to the FMS, the system retained gale-force winds through December 2, by which time it was situated about 70 km (45 mi) northwest of Mangaia
Mangaia
Mangaia is the most southerly of the Cook Islands and the second largest, after Rarotonga.-Geography:...
. Now significantly displaced from any convective activity, the remnants of Trina persisted in the same general area for several more days before completely dissipating.
Impact and aftermath
Following Tropical Depression 01F's upgrade to Tropical Cyclone Trina on November 30, the Cook IslandsCook Islands
The Cook Islands is a self-governing parliamentary democracy in the South Pacific Ocean in free association with New Zealand...
were placed under a cyclone alert. Gale warnings were also put in place for the islands of Rarotonga and Mangaia for several days. Several Air New Zealand
Air New Zealand
Air New Zealand Limited is the national airline and flag carrier of New Zealand. Based in Auckland, New Zealand, the airline operates scheduled passenger flights to 26 domestic destinations and 24 international destinations in 15 countries across Asia, Europe, North America and Oceania, and is...
and many social events were canceled to ensure public safety. Due to the low intensity of the storm, the main threat was not wind damage, although gusts up to 100 km/h (65 mph) were reported in Rarotonga. Owing to the slow movement of the storm, heavy rains associated with Trina fell on Mangaia for nearly eight days, resulting in widespread flooding. Parts of the island were inundated with up to 2 m (6.6 ft) of water, destroying nearly 95% of the taro
Taro
Taro is a common name for the corms and tubers of several plants in the family Araceae . Of these, Colocasia esculenta is the most widely cultivated, and is the subject of this article. More specifically, this article describes the 'dasheen' form of taro; another variety is called eddoe.Taro is...
crop and drowning numerous livestock. Several of the islands' main roads were washed out and a few reports of landslide
Landslide
A landslide or landslip is a geological phenomenon which includes a wide range of ground movement, such as rockfalls, deep failure of slopes and shallow debris flows, which can occur in offshore, coastal and onshore environments...
s were made.
The flooding on Mangaia was regarded as the worst in almost 50 years, as nearly the entire island was affected. According to locals, the ocean surrounding the island became red at one point due to the amount of soil being washed out to sea. Despite initial reports that the local water supply was contaminated, the International Federation of Red Cross And Red Crescent Societies
International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies
The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies is a humanitarian institution that is part of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement along with the ICRC and 186 distinct National Societies...
(IFRC) stated that it was safe to drink and there was a sufficient amount for all of the islands' 744 residents. Offshore, a sailboat was severely damaged by large swells
Swell (ocean)
A swell, in the context of an ocean, sea or lake, is a series surface gravity waves that is not generated by the local wind. Swell waves often have a long wavelength but this varies with the size of the water body, e.g. rarely more than 150 m in the Mediterranean, and from event to event, with...
produced by the storm and was on the verge of sinking. The sailor managed to secure the vessel and make it safely to shore.
The flooding on Mangaia persisted for nearly a week before finally subsiding. Once the waters receded, the full extent of damage was revealed. Although only minor structural damage was sustained, the agricultural sector received extensive losses. Nearly 90% of the islands' staple crop was lost and about 60% of all the livestock perished. Following an assessment made by the Cook Islands National Disaster Management Council, it was determined that US$52,000 was needed to repair losses from Trina. International assistance from the United Nations
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
was eventually requested on December 12, allowing for relief funds from several agencies to be delivered to the area. Fears of food shortages also prompted the local government to begin stockpiling food should it become a necessary relief supply. A total of US$24,140 was committed in relief funds by New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
, Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
and the United Nations to assist the Cook Islands in recovering from the storm. By late-December, an additional F$20,000 (US$11,000) was distributed by the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat to the affected islands. In the months following Cyclone Trina, debris removal and cleanup was relatively slow, delaying efforts to replant crops lost in the floods. Food shortage issues became apparent in February 2002, prompting the IFRC to distribute food to all of Mangaia's residents.
Due to the severity of damage caused by Trina, its name was retired in May 2002 and replaced with Tino.
See also
- 2001–02 South Pacific cyclone season
- List of historic tropical cyclone names