Typhoon Elsie (1989)
Encyclopedia
Typhoon Elsie was one of the most intense known tropical cyclone
s to make landfall
in the Philippines
. A powerful Category 5 super typhoon, Elsie formed out of a tropical disturbance on October 13, 1989, and initially moved relatively slowly in an area of weak steering currents. On October 15, the storm underwent a period of rapid intensification
, attaining an intensity that corresponds to a Category 3 hurricane on the Saffir–Simpson Hurricane Scale. After taking a due west track towards the northern Philippines, the storm intensified further, becoming a Category 5 super typhoon hours before making landfall in Luzon
. After moving inland, the typhoon rapidly weakened to a tropical storm. Once back over water in the South China Sea
, wind shear
prevented re-intensifcation. Elsie eventually made landfall in Vietnam on October 22 and dissipated the following day over Laos
.
In the Philippines, Elsie worsened the situation already left in the wakes of typhoons Angela and Dan. Although it was stronger than the previous two, Elsie caused far less damage due to the relatively sparse population in the area of landfall. During the storm's passage, 47 people were killed and another 363 were injured. Damages throughout the country amounted to $35.4 million and roughly 332,000 people were left homeless.
(TUTT) over the western Pacific Ocean in mid-October. By October 13, a tropical disturbance developed out of the system roughly 1240 kilometres (770.5 mi) east-northeast of Manila
, Philippines
. At this time, the Japan Meteorological Agency
(JMA) began to monitor the system as a tropical depression. Located between two other TUTT cells, the disturbance's outflow
was enhanced, allowing it to intensify. The Joint Typhoon Warning Center
(JTWC) issued a Tropical Cyclone Formation Alert
late on October 13. Early the following day, the disturbance was designated as Tropical Depression 30W as it began to stall in an area of weak steering currents between two subtropical
highs
.
Shortly after being declared a depression, the JTWC upgraded the system to a tropical storm, giving it the name Elsie. At the same time, the JMA also upgraded the depression to a tropical storm. By October 15, Elsie began to take a slow track to the west-northwest and intensified. Later that day, a short-wave trough passed to the north of the storm, again enhancing its outflow. This led to a period of rapid intensification
, during which Elsie intensified from a tropical storm to the equivalent of a high-end Category 3 hurricane on the Saffir–Simpson Hurricane Scale in a 24-hour span. The JMA also upgraded Elsie to a typhoon, though they reported a much more gradual rate of intensification. After strengthening further to Category 4 intensity, maximum winds leveled out for most of October 17.
On October 18, another period of intensification took place as the storm neared the northern Philippines. Early in the day, Elsie was upgraded to a super typhoon, a storm with winds of at least 240 km/h (150 mph). Hours before making landfall in Luzon
, the storm attained its peak intensity as a Category 5 super typhoon with winds of 260 km/h (160 mph) and a barometric pressure of 898 hPa (mbar). The peak intensity of Elsie was assessed by the JMA at the same time. They reported that the typhoon attained winds of 175 km/h (115 mph 10-minute sustained) and a minimum pressure of 915 hPa (mbar). The center of Elsie crossed the Philippine coastline at around 0300 UTC
on October 19.
Rapid weakening took place as the storm moved over the mountainous terrain of northern Luzon. Roughly nine hours after crossing the coastline, Elsie was downgraded to a tropical storm. The weakened storm continued its westward track as it entered the South China Sea
along a monsoon
al surge. This surge also helped to keep Elsie as a tropical storm due to increased wind shear
over the northern portion of the cyclone. The JMA, unlike the JTWC, did not downgrade Elsie to a tropical storm until October 21. Failing to re-intensify, Elsie eventually made landfall in central Vietnam
on October 22 and degenerated into a remnant-low pressure system early the following day. The remnants of Elsie were monitored by the JTWC on satellite imagery for a short time until the former typhoon dissipated over Laos
.
, where Elsie made landfall. Heavy rains triggered several landslides across mountainous areas of the country. High winds also created deadly air-borne debris, including roofing and tree limbs. Downed power lines across the northern provinces left most of Luzon
without power. Officials stated that about 61,300 homes were either damaged or destroyed by Elsie in the Philippines. In the wake of the typhoon, roughly 332,000 people were left homeless. Damages sustained by agriculture amounted to 105 million PHP
($2,253,702 USD
). In all, Typhoon Elsie killed 47 people and injured 363 others in the Philippines, and left roughly $35.4 million in damages.
Although Elsie brushed Hainan
Island in China and made landfall in northern Vietnam
, little damage was reported in these regions. In addition to damages caused by Brian, Angela and Dan, roughly ¥
1.9 billion ($278.3 million) was left in damages.
Following the storm, the Red Cross and World Food Council
(UNDRO) set up shelters and began assisting residents in need of food and shelter. Several thousand residents were provided food, clothing and shelter across the country in mass-feeding shelters. The UNDRO also contributed $461,000 in funds to the Philippines. Another $46,000 was provided by the Government of Norway and the Catholic Relief Services donated $50,000. The Government of Japan
provided $300,000 and the Government of the United States donated $25,000 in response to the overall affects of Elsie and the three preceding storms. Two other non-governmental organizations, the Lutheran World Federation and World Council of Churches allocated $10,000 and $30,000, respectively, for the Philippines.
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...
s to make landfall
Landfall (meteorology)
Landfall is the event of a tropical cyclone or a waterspout coming onto land after being over water. When a waterspout makes landfall it is reclassified as a tornado, which can then cause damage inland...
in the 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...
. A powerful Category 5 super typhoon, Elsie formed out of a tropical disturbance on October 13, 1989, and initially moved relatively slowly in an area of weak steering currents. On October 15, the storm underwent a period of rapid intensification
Rapid deepening
Rapid deepening, also known as rapid intensification, is a meteorological condition that occurs when the minimum sea-level atmospheric pressure of a tropical cyclone decreases drastically in a short period of time. The National Weather Service describes rapid deepening as a decrease of...
, attaining an intensity that corresponds to a Category 3 hurricane on the Saffir–Simpson Hurricane Scale. After taking a due west track towards the northern Philippines, the storm intensified further, becoming a Category 5 super typhoon hours before making landfall in Luzon
Luzon
Luzon is the largest island in the Philippines. It is located in the northernmost region of the archipelago, and is also the name for one of the three primary island groups in the country centered on the Island of Luzon...
. After moving inland, the typhoon rapidly weakened to a tropical storm. Once back over water 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...
, 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...
prevented re-intensifcation. Elsie eventually made landfall in Vietnam on October 22 and dissipated the following day over Laos
Laos
Laos Lao: ສາທາລະນະລັດ ປະຊາທິປະໄຕ ປະຊາຊົນລາວ Sathalanalat Paxathipatai Paxaxon Lao, officially the Lao People's Democratic Republic, is a landlocked country in Southeast Asia, bordered by Burma and China to the northwest, Vietnam to the east, Cambodia to the south and Thailand to the west...
.
In the Philippines, Elsie worsened the situation already left in the wakes of typhoons Angela and Dan. Although it was stronger than the previous two, Elsie caused far less damage due to the relatively sparse population in the area of landfall. During the storm's passage, 47 people were killed and another 363 were injured. Damages throughout the country amounted to $35.4 million and roughly 332,000 people were left homeless.
Meteorological history
Super Typhoon Elsie, the third typhoon to impact the Philippines within a 12-day span during 1989, originated from a Tropical Upper Tropospheric TroughTropical Upper Tropospheric Trough
A tropical upper tropospheric trough , also known as the mid-oceanic trough, is a trough situated in upper-level tropics. Its formation is usually caused by the intrusion of energy and wind from the mid-latitudes into the tropics. It can also develop from the inverted trough adjacent to an upper...
(TUTT) over the western Pacific Ocean in mid-October. By October 13, a tropical disturbance developed out of the system roughly 1240 kilometres (770.5 mi) east-northeast of Manila
Manila
Manila is the capital of the Philippines. It is one of the sixteen cities forming Metro Manila.Manila is located on the eastern shores of Manila Bay and is bordered by Navotas and Caloocan to the north, Quezon City to the northeast, San Juan and Mandaluyong to the east, Makati on the southeast,...
, 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...
. At this time, the Japan Meteorological Agency
Japan Meteorological Agency
The or JMA, is the Japanese government's weather service. Charged with gathering and reporting weather data and forecasts in Japan, it is a semi-autonomous part of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport...
(JMA) began to monitor the system as a tropical depression. Located between two other TUTT cells, the disturbance's outflow
Outflow (meteorology)
Outflow, in meteorology, is air that flows outwards from a storm system. It is associated with ridging, or anticyclonic flow. In the low levels of the troposphere, outflow radiates from thunderstorms in the form of a wedge of rain-cooled air, which is visible as a thin rope-like cloud on weather...
was enhanced, allowing it to intensify. 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...
late on October 13. Early the following day, the disturbance was designated as Tropical Depression 30W as it began to stall in an area of weak steering currents between two subtropical
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...
highs
High pressure area
A high-pressure area is a region where the atmospheric pressure at the surface of the planet is greater than its surrounding environment. Winds within high-pressure areas flow outward due to the higher density air near their center and friction with land...
.
Shortly after being declared a depression, the JTWC upgraded the system to a tropical storm, giving it the name Elsie. At the same time, the JMA also upgraded the depression to a tropical storm. By October 15, Elsie began to take a slow track to the west-northwest and intensified. Later that day, a short-wave trough passed to the north of the storm, again enhancing its outflow. This led to a period of rapid intensification
Rapid deepening
Rapid deepening, also known as rapid intensification, is a meteorological condition that occurs when the minimum sea-level atmospheric pressure of a tropical cyclone decreases drastically in a short period of time. The National Weather Service describes rapid deepening as a decrease of...
, during which Elsie intensified from a tropical storm to the equivalent of a high-end Category 3 hurricane on the Saffir–Simpson Hurricane Scale in a 24-hour span. The JMA also upgraded Elsie to a typhoon, though they reported a much more gradual rate of intensification. After strengthening further to Category 4 intensity, maximum winds leveled out for most of October 17.
On October 18, another period of intensification took place as the storm neared the northern Philippines. Early in the day, Elsie was upgraded to a super typhoon, a storm with winds of at least 240 km/h (150 mph). Hours before making landfall in Luzon
Luzon
Luzon is the largest island in the Philippines. It is located in the northernmost region of the archipelago, and is also the name for one of the three primary island groups in the country centered on the Island of Luzon...
, the storm attained its peak intensity as a Category 5 super typhoon with winds of 260 km/h (160 mph) and a barometric pressure of 898 hPa (mbar). The peak intensity of Elsie was assessed by the JMA at the same time. They reported that the typhoon attained winds of 175 km/h (115 mph 10-minute sustained) and a minimum pressure of 915 hPa (mbar). The center of Elsie crossed the Philippine coastline at around 0300 UTC
Coordinated Universal Time
Coordinated Universal Time is the primary time standard by which the world regulates clocks and time. It is one of several closely related successors to Greenwich Mean Time. Computer servers, online services and other entities that rely on having a universally accepted time use UTC for that purpose...
on October 19.
Rapid weakening took place as the storm moved over the mountainous terrain of northern Luzon. Roughly nine hours after crossing the coastline, Elsie was downgraded to a tropical storm. The weakened storm continued its westward track as it entered 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...
along a monsoon
Monsoon
Monsoon is traditionally defined as a seasonal reversing wind accompanied by corresponding changes in precipitation, but is now used to describe seasonal changes in atmospheric circulation and precipitation associated with the asymmetric heating of land and sea...
al surge. This surge also helped to keep Elsie as a tropical storm due to increased 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...
over the northern portion of the cyclone. The JMA, unlike the JTWC, did not downgrade Elsie to a tropical storm until October 21. Failing to re-intensify, Elsie eventually made landfall in central 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 October 22 and degenerated into a remnant-low pressure system early the following day. The remnants of Elsie were monitored by the JTWC on satellite imagery for a short time until the former typhoon dissipated over Laos
Laos
Laos Lao: ສາທາລະນະລັດ ປະຊາທິປະໄຕ ປະຊາຊົນລາວ Sathalanalat Paxathipatai Paxaxon Lao, officially the Lao People's Democratic Republic, is a landlocked country in Southeast Asia, bordered by Burma and China to the northwest, Vietnam to the east, Cambodia to the south and Thailand to the west...
.
Impact and aftermath
During the storm, roughly 50,500 people sought refuge in shelters set up across the country. Throughout the Philippines, 47 people were killed by the typhoon, mostly from drowning. Sixteen of these fatalities occurred in Isabela ProvinceIsabela province
Isabela is the second largest province of the Philippines next to Palawan. It is located in the Cagayan Valley Region in Luzon. Its capital is Ilagan and borders, clockwise from the south, Aurora, Quirino, Nueva Vizcaya, Ifugao, Mountain Province, Kalinga, and Cagayan...
, where Elsie made landfall. Heavy rains triggered several landslides across mountainous areas of the country. High winds also created deadly air-borne debris, including roofing and tree limbs. Downed power lines across the northern provinces left most of Luzon
Luzon
Luzon is the largest island in the Philippines. It is located in the northernmost region of the archipelago, and is also the name for one of the three primary island groups in the country centered on the Island of Luzon...
without power. Officials stated that about 61,300 homes were either damaged or destroyed by Elsie in the Philippines. In the wake of the typhoon, roughly 332,000 people were left homeless. Damages sustained by agriculture amounted to 105 million PHP
Philippine peso
The peso is the currency of the Philippines. It is subdivided into 100 centavos . Before 1967, the language used on the banknotes and coins was English and so "peso" was the name used...
($2,253,702 USD
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....
). In all, Typhoon Elsie killed 47 people and injured 363 others in the Philippines, and left roughly $35.4 million in damages.
Although Elsie brushed Hainan
Hainan
Hainan is the smallest province of the People's Republic of China . Although the province comprises some two hundred islands scattered among three archipelagos off the southern coast, of its land mass is Hainan Island , from which the province takes its name...
Island in China and made landfall in northern 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 –...
, little damage was reported in these regions. In addition to damages caused by Brian, Angela and Dan, roughly ¥
Renminbi
The Renminbi is the official currency of the People's Republic of China . Renminbi is legal tender in mainland China, but not in Hong Kong or Macau. It is issued by the People's Bank of China, the monetary authority of the PRC...
1.9 billion ($278.3 million) was left in damages.
Following the storm, the Red Cross and World Food Council
World Food Council
World Food Council was a United Nations organization established by the UN General Assembly in December 1974 by recommendation of the World Food Conference. Its headquarter was in Rome, Italy. WFC's goal was to serve as coordinating body for national ministries of agriculture to help reduce...
(UNDRO) set up shelters and began assisting residents in need of food and shelter. Several thousand residents were provided food, clothing and shelter across the country in mass-feeding shelters. The UNDRO also contributed $461,000 in funds to the Philippines. Another $46,000 was provided by the Government of Norway and the Catholic Relief Services donated $50,000. The Government of Japan
Government of Japan
The government of Japan is a constitutional monarchy where the power of the Emperor is very limited. As a ceremonial figurehead, he is defined by the 1947 constitution as "the symbol of the state and of the unity of the people". Power is held chiefly by the Prime Minister of Japan and other elected...
provided $300,000 and the Government of the United States donated $25,000 in response to the overall affects of Elsie and the three preceding storms. Two other non-governmental organizations, the Lutheran World Federation and World Council of Churches allocated $10,000 and $30,000, respectively, for the Philippines.
See also
- 1989 Pacific typhoon season1989 Pacific typhoon seasonThe 1989 Pacific typhoon season has no official bounds; it ran year-round in 1989, but most tropical cyclones tend to form in the northwestern Pacific Ocean between May and November. These dates conventionally delimit the period of each year when most tropical cyclones form in the northwestern...
- Typhoon Megi (2010)Typhoon Megi (2010)Typhoon Megi was one of the most intense tropical cyclones on record, attaining the lowest atmospheric pressure since Vanessa in 1984 and the highest 10-minute sustained winds since Bess in 1982 in the northwestern Pacific Ocean...
- Typhoon Nesat (2011)Typhoon Nesat (2011)Typhoon Nesat was the most powerful tropical cyclone to directly impact China since 2005. It also struck the Philippines during the 2011 Pacific typhoon season, killing 83 people...
- Typhoon Nalgae (2011)Typhoon Nalgae (2011)Typhoon Nalgae was a powerful tropical cyclone that struck the Philippines, and it affected Hainan, China as a weak tropical storm...