Typhoon Olive (1952)
Encyclopedia
Typhoon Olive was the strongest Pacific typhoon
of the 1952 Pacific typhoon season. The thirteenth tropical storm and the ninth typhoon of the season, it developed about 1,600 miles (1,580 km) southwest of Honolulu, Hawaii
, on September 13. On the next day, the system attained tropical storm intensity, and it attained typhoon intensity on September 15. Subsequently, the typhoon, rapidly intensifying
, passed near Wake Island
. Olive, remaining away from land masses, eventually attained the equivalence of Category 5 intensity on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale
.
Olive produced significant damage on Wake Island, where wind gusts reached 142 mph (229 km/h). Significant flooding was reported, and the majority of the structures were completely destroyed. However, few injuries were reported, and the island's facilities were restored in 1953. Typhoon Olive remains one of the most intense tropical cyclones to affect the island.
169.0°W
, was plotted as a tropical wave
on surface weather maps
. Operationally, the system was not classified as a tropical storm until September 15; however, posthumous analysis determined that the system acquired tropical storm intensity on September 14 (0000 UTC
on September 15). Tropical Storm Olive, moving west-northwest near 10 mph (17 km/h), turned toward Wake Island
on September 15. Around 1800 UTC, the tropical storm, attaining typhoon intensity, acquired winds of 75 mph (120 km/h). On the same date, Olive, intensifying further, passed near Wake Island with maximum sustained wind
s of 127 mph (204 km/h). Reconnaissance aircraft
recorded a minimum central pressure
of 945 mbar
(hPa
; 27.90 inHg) at the time. On September 16, Olive attained the equivalence of modern super typhoon
intensity, and it strengthened to a peak intensity of 185 mph (295 km/h) on the next day. Although the cyclone became the strongest typhoon of the season, the peak intensity occurred away from land masses. On September 18, Olive weakened and recurved northeast. On September 19, the cyclone lost typhoon intensity, and the remnant low acquired extratropical
characteristics on September 21.
, 700 people sheltered in World War II
bunkers. Olive, the second typhoon to affect the island since 1935, produced sustained wind speeds of 120 mph (195 km/h) and peak gusts of 142 mph (229 km/h) on the island. Significant flooding was also recorded. The effects of Olive were severe—estimates suggested that fully 85 percent of the island's structures were demolished. All of the homes and the island's hotel were destroyed. Additionally, the island's chapel and quonset huts were completely destroyed. The island's LORAN station, operated by the United States Coast Guard
, was also destroyed. On September 18, water and power services were restored. The facilities on the island were restored in 1953. The total cost to repair damages caused by Olive amounted to $1.6 million (1952 USD; $13 million 2009 USD). No fatalities occurred on the island, and four injuries were reported. None of the 230 Pan American World Airways
employees received injuries.
Fifteen years later, Wake Island was adversely affected by Typhoon Sarah. Hurricane Ioke
also struck the island in 2006
. After the passage of Olive, a survey, conducted ten years after the event, revealed that the vegetation of Wake Island recovered rapidly; visible damage was scarce. It was believed that the natural adaptations of Pacific atoll
plants, which were exposed to typhoons over millennia, enabled rapid recovery after storms.
Pacific typhoon
A typhoon is a mature tropical cyclone that develops in the northwestern part of the Pacific Ocean between 180° and 100°E. This region is referred to as the northwest Pacific basin. For organizational purposes, the northern Pacific Ocean is divided into three regions: the eastern , central , and...
of the 1952 Pacific typhoon season. The thirteenth tropical storm and the ninth typhoon of the season, it developed about 1,600 miles (1,580 km) southwest of Honolulu, Hawaii
Honolulu, Hawaii
Honolulu is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Hawaii. Honolulu is the southernmost major U.S. city. Although the name "Honolulu" refers to the urban area on the southeastern shore of the island of Oahu, the city and county government are consolidated as the City and...
, on September 13. On the next day, the system attained tropical storm intensity, and it attained typhoon intensity on September 15. Subsequently, the typhoon, rapidly intensifying
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...
, passed near Wake Island
Wake Island
Wake Island is a coral atoll having a coastline of in the North Pacific Ocean, located about two-thirds of the way from Honolulu west to Guam east. It is an unorganized, unincorporated territory of the United States, administered by the Office of Insular Affairs, U.S. Department of the Interior...
. Olive, remaining away from land masses, eventually attained the equivalence of Category 5 intensity on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale
Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale
The Saffir–Simpson Hurricane Scale , or the Saffir–Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale , classifies hurricanes — Western Hemisphere tropical cyclones that exceed the intensities of tropical depressions and tropical storms — into five categories distinguished by the intensities of their sustained winds...
.
Olive produced significant damage on Wake Island, where wind gusts reached 142 mph (229 km/h). Significant flooding was reported, and the majority of the structures were completely destroyed. However, few injuries were reported, and the island's facilities were restored in 1953. Typhoon Olive remains one of the most intense tropical cyclones to affect the island.
Meteorological history
On September 8, a tropical disturbance, located near 12.0°N12th parallel north
The 12th parallel north is a circle of latitude that is 12 degrees north of the Earth's equatorial plane. It crosses Africa, the Indian Ocean, South Asia, Southeast Asia, the Pacific Ocean, Central America, South America and the Atlantic Ocean....
169.0°W
169th meridian west
The meridian 169° west of Greenwich is a line of longitude that extends from the North Pole across the Arctic Ocean, the Pacific Ocean, the Southern Ocean, and Antarctica to the South Pole....
, was plotted as a tropical wave
Tropical wave
Tropical waves, easterly waves, or tropical easterly waves, also known as African easterly waves in the Atlantic region, are a type of atmospheric trough, an elongated area of relatively low air pressure, oriented north to south, which move from east to west across the tropics causing areas of...
on surface weather maps
Surface weather analysis
Surface weather analysis is a special type of weather map that provides a view of weather elements over a geographical area at a specified time based on information from ground-based weather stations...
. Operationally, the system was not classified as a tropical storm until September 15; however, posthumous analysis determined that the system acquired tropical storm intensity on September 14 (0000 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 September 15). Tropical Storm Olive, moving west-northwest near 10 mph (17 km/h), turned toward Wake Island
Wake Island
Wake Island is a coral atoll having a coastline of in the North Pacific Ocean, located about two-thirds of the way from Honolulu west to Guam east. It is an unorganized, unincorporated territory of the United States, administered by the Office of Insular Affairs, U.S. Department of the Interior...
on September 15. Around 1800 UTC, the tropical storm, attaining typhoon intensity, acquired winds of 75 mph (120 km/h). On the same date, Olive, intensifying further, passed near Wake Island with maximum sustained wind
Maximum sustained wind
The maximum sustained winds associated with a tropical cyclone are a common indicator of the intensity of the storm. Within a mature tropical cyclone, they are found within the eyewall at a distance defined as the radius of maximum wind, or RMW. Unlike gusts, the value of these winds are...
s of 127 mph (204 km/h). Reconnaissance aircraft
Surveillance aircraft
A surveillance aircraft is an aircraft used for surveillance — collecting information over time. They are operated by military forces and other government agencies in roles such as intelligence gathering, battlefield surveillance, airspace surveillance, observation , border patrol and fishery...
recorded a minimum central pressure
Atmospheric pressure
Atmospheric pressure is the force per unit area exerted into a surface by the weight of air above that surface in the atmosphere of Earth . In most circumstances atmospheric pressure is closely approximated by the hydrostatic pressure caused by the weight of air above the measurement point...
of 945 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...
; 27.90 inHg) at the time. On September 16, Olive attained the equivalence of modern super typhoon
Tropical cyclone scales
Tropical systems are officially ranked on one of several tropical cyclone scales according to their maximum sustained winds and in what oceanic basin they are located...
intensity, and it strengthened to a peak intensity of 185 mph (295 km/h) on the next day. Although the cyclone became the strongest typhoon of the season, the peak intensity occurred away from land masses. On September 18, Olive weakened and recurved northeast. On September 19, the cyclone lost typhoon intensity, and the remnant low acquired extratropical
Extratropical cyclone
Extratropical cyclones, sometimes called mid-latitude cyclones or wave cyclones, are a group of cyclones defined as synoptic scale low pressure weather systems that occur in the middle latitudes of the Earth having neither tropical nor polar characteristics, and are connected with fronts and...
characteristics on September 21.
Preparations and impact
On Wake IslandWake Island
Wake Island is a coral atoll having a coastline of in the North Pacific Ocean, located about two-thirds of the way from Honolulu west to Guam east. It is an unorganized, unincorporated territory of the United States, administered by the Office of Insular Affairs, U.S. Department of the Interior...
, 700 people sheltered in World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
bunkers. Olive, the second typhoon to affect the island since 1935, produced sustained wind speeds of 120 mph (195 km/h) and peak gusts of 142 mph (229 km/h) on the island. Significant flooding was also recorded. The effects of Olive were severe—estimates suggested that fully 85 percent of the island's structures were demolished. All of the homes and the island's hotel were destroyed. Additionally, the island's chapel and quonset huts were completely destroyed. The island's LORAN station, operated by the United States Coast Guard
United States Coast Guard
The United States Coast Guard is a branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven U.S. uniformed services. The Coast Guard is a maritime, military, multi-mission service unique among the military branches for having a maritime law enforcement mission and a federal regulatory agency...
, was also destroyed. On September 18, water and power services were restored. The facilities on the island were restored in 1953. The total cost to repair damages caused by Olive amounted to $1.6 million (1952 USD; $13 million 2009 USD). No fatalities occurred on the island, and four injuries were reported. None of the 230 Pan American World Airways
Pan American World Airways
Pan American World Airways, commonly known as Pan Am, was the principal and largest international air carrier in the United States from 1927 until its collapse on December 4, 1991...
employees received injuries.
Fifteen years later, Wake Island was adversely affected by Typhoon Sarah. Hurricane Ioke
Hurricane Ioke
Hurricane Ioke was the strongest hurricane ever recorded in the Central Pacific...
also struck the island in 2006
2006 Pacific hurricane season
The 2006 Pacific hurricane season was the most active Pacific hurricane season since 2000 producing 19 tropical storms or hurricanes. Eighteen developed within the National Hurricane Center area of warning responsibility, which is east of 140ºW, and one storm formed between 140ºW and the...
. After the passage of Olive, a survey, conducted ten years after the event, revealed that the vegetation of Wake Island recovered rapidly; visible damage was scarce. It was believed that the natural adaptations of Pacific atoll
Atoll
An atoll is a coral island that encircles a lagoon partially or completely.- Usage :The word atoll comes from the Dhivehi word atholhu OED...
plants, which were exposed to typhoons over millennia, enabled rapid recovery after storms.