Tropical Storm Thelma
Encyclopedia
Tropical Storm Thelma was the deadliest tropical storm of the 1991 Pacific typhoon season
, killing between 5,101 to 8,100 people as it crossed the Philippines.
in late October. The disturbance was in a line of future storms, including what would become Super Typhoon Seth and Tropical Storm Verne. The disturbance that would become Thelma tracked to the west-northwest, to become Tropical Depression 27W on November 1. Its convection increased as it turned westward, and it was upgraded to Tropical Storm Thelma on the November 4.
Thelma was originally forecast to move northward in response to a break in the subtropical ridge, but the ridge remained strong. Thelma began a west-southwest track on November 4, reaching a peak of 50 mi/h winds before interaction with the Philippines weakened it. The storm made landfall on the island of Samar in the eastern Philippines
on the November 5, continued to the west, and weakened to a 40 mi/h tropical storm. In the South China Sea
, strong vertical shear kept Thelma a minimal storm, where it weakened to a tropical depression on November 7, hit eastern Vietnam
on the 8th, and dissipated shortly thereafter.
Tropical Storm Thelma caused around 7,000 casualties in the Philippines (estimated death toll ranges from 5,101 to over 8,000), making it the deadliest tropical cyclone in Philippine history. In addition, tens of thousands were left homeless in the aftermath of the storm.
In the time Thelma crossed the Philippines, it dropped over 6 inches (152.4 mm) of rain in some areas, with a local maximum of 580.5 millimetres (22.9 in) falling at Tongonan Geothermal Site. The city hardest hit was Ormoc City
on Leyte Island
. Most of the storm's death toll occurred here. Three-quarters of the city was destroyed in the flooding.
Because of the death toll and other effects of the storm, the names Thelma and Uring were retired from future use.
1991 Pacific typhoon season
Tropical Storm Enrique formed in the eastern Pacific basin, where it reached it's peak intensity as a category 1 Hurricane, becoming Hurricane Enrique. Enrique lasted for 6 days before becoming a remnant low, shortly after entering in the central Pacific....
, killing between 5,101 to 8,100 people as it crossed the Philippines.
Meteorological history
A tropical disturbance developed over the eastern Caroline IslandsCaroline Islands
The Caroline Islands are a widely scattered archipelago of tiny islands in the western Pacific Ocean, to the north of New Guinea. Politically they are divided between the Federated States of Micronesia in the eastern part of the group, and Palau at the extreme western end...
in late October. The disturbance was in a line of future storms, including what would become Super Typhoon Seth and Tropical Storm Verne. The disturbance that would become Thelma tracked to the west-northwest, to become Tropical Depression 27W on November 1. Its convection increased as it turned westward, and it was upgraded to Tropical Storm Thelma on the November 4.
Thelma was originally forecast to move northward in response to a break in the subtropical ridge, but the ridge remained strong. Thelma began a west-southwest track on November 4, reaching a peak of 50 mi/h winds before interaction with the Philippines weakened it. The storm made landfall on the island of Samar in the eastern Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
on the November 5, continued to the west, and weakened to a 40 mi/h tropical storm. In the South China Sea
South China Sea
The South China Sea is a marginal sea that is part of the Pacific Ocean, encompassing an area from the Singapore and Malacca Straits to the Strait of Taiwan of around...
, strong vertical shear kept Thelma a minimal storm, where it weakened to a tropical depression on November 7, hit eastern Vietnam
Vietnam
Vietnam – sometimes spelled Viet Nam , officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam – is the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by China to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, and the South China Sea –...
on the 8th, and dissipated shortly thereafter.
Impact
In the time Thelma crossed the Philippines, it dropped over 6 inches (152.4 mm) of rain in some areas, with a local maximum of 580.5 millimetres (22.9 in) falling at Tongonan Geothermal Site. The city hardest hit was Ormoc City
Ormoc City
The City of Ormoc is a 1st class city in the province of Leyte, Philippines. The city's name is derived from ogmok, an old Visayan term for lowland or depressed plain. It is the first non-provincial city of the Philippines. According to the 2007 census, it has a population of 177,524 people...
on Leyte Island
Leyte Island
Leyte is an island in the Visayas group of the Philippines.The island measures about 180 km north-south and about 65 km at its widest point. In the north it nearly joins Samar, separated by the San Juanico Strait, which becomes as narrow as 2 km in some places...
. Most of the storm's death toll occurred here. Three-quarters of the city was destroyed in the flooding.
Because of the death toll and other effects of the storm, the names Thelma and Uring were retired from future use.
