Typhoon Tingting
Encyclopedia
Typhoon Tingting was a relatively weak, but destructive, typhoon
that produced record-breaking rains in Guam
. The eighth named storm
of the 2004 Pacific typhoon season
, Tingting originated from a tropical depression over the open waters of the western Pacific Ocean
. The storm gradually intensified as it traveled northwest, becoming a typhoon on June 28 and reaching its peak the following day while passing through the Mariana Islands
. After maintaining typhoon intensity for three days, a combination of dry air and cooler sea surface temperatures caused the storm to weaken as it traveled northward. On July 1, the storm passed by the Bonin Islands, off the coast of Japan, before moving out to sea. By July 4, Tinting had transitioned into an extratropical cyclone
. The remnants were last reported by the Japan Meteorological Agency
, the Regional Specialized Meteorological Center
for the western Pacific basin
, near the international date line
on July 13.
While passing through the Mariana Islands, Typhoon Tingting produced torrential rains which triggered flooding and numerous landslides. In Guam, 554.99 mm (21.85 in) of rain fell in 24 hours, breaking the daily and monthly rainfall records for June. Winds gusted up to 212 km/h (132 mph), causing significant structural damage, amounting to $6 million in losses. One fatality occurred as a result of flooding and nine others resulted from rough seas. In the Mariana Islands, 71 homes were destroyed and hundreds were damaged; losses totaled $11.2 million. In Japan, two people were killed by rough seas.All damage figures are in 2004 USD
associated with developing convection
formed about 1,110 km (690 mi) to the east-southeast of Guam
. Early the next day, as the system began to intensify, the Japan Meteorological Agency
(JMA) began monitoring the low pressure as a tropical depression. With low wind shear
and favorable diffluence
, the Joint Typhoon Warning Center
(JTWC) issued a Tropical Cyclone Formation Alert
for the storm at 0000 UTC
, classifying it as Tropical Depression 11W twelve hours later. The depression traveled towards the northwest along the edge of a mid-latitude ridge
. Outer bands
began developing around the system, although the ridge to its north restricted outflow
. About 24 hours after the JMA designated the depression, the agency upgraded it to a tropical storm and named it Tingting, which was contributed by Hong Kong
and is a fairly common pet name for young girls. At 0600 UTC on June 26, the JTWC also classified Tingting as a tropical storm.
As Tingting tracked northwestward, it continued to develop outflow in all directions. The storm slowly intensified as it traveled towards the Mariana Islands
, strengthening into a severe tropical storm early on June 27. Later that day, a ragged eye
began to form. The ridge influencing the track of Tingting moved eastward, causing the storm to begin a gradual turn towards the north At 0000 UTC on June 28, the JTWC upgraded the storm to a minimal typhoon, the equivalent of a Category 1 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale
, and the JMA followed about six hours later. Several hours later, Tingting passed through the central Mariana Islands, tracking near the small island of Sarigan
, while continuing to intensify. At 0900 UTC, the typhoon reached its peak intensity with winds of 150 km/h (90 mph) according to both agencies and a minimum pressure of 955 hPa
(mbar
). With low wind shear, further strengthening was anticipated as it neared the Bonin Islands. However, the typhoon began to weaken due to increasing dry air and decreasing sea surface temperature
s. On June 30, Tingting passed within 95 km (60 mi) east of Iwo Jima
. Later that day, the storm's eye dissipated as convection around the center of circulation weakened.
On July 1, the JTWC downgraded Tingting to a tropical storm. At 1200 UTC the following day, the JMA downgraded the storm to a severe tropical storm as winds decreased below 120 km/h (75 mph 10-minute winds). Convection associated with the storm began to diminish as Tingting began to undergo an extratropical transition
. Although the storm maintained its intensity as a severe tropical storm, it was moving into increasingly unfavorable conditions and weakening was anticipated. As Tingting tracked towards the northeast into the mid-latitude westerlies
, it completed its extratropical transition on July 4. After becoming an extratropical cyclone, Tingting accelerated towards the north before abruptly stalling near the Kamchatka Peninsula
. On July 6, the extratropical remnants of Tingting were absorbed by a developing area of low pressure located to the south of the former typhoon. However, the JMA continued to monitor Tingting as a separate system as it executed a counter-clockwise loop though July 10 before heading towards the international date line
. The storm was last reported on July 13 to the west Aleutian Islands.
uses 10-minute sustained winds for its tropical cyclone tracking information, while the Joint Typhoon Warning Center
uses 1-minute sustained winds. JMA's peak intensity for Tingting was 150 km/h (90 mph) 10-minute sustained, or 160 km/h (105 mph) 1-minute sustained. The JTWC's peak intensity for Tingting was also 150 km/h (90 mph) 1-minute sustained, or 130 km/h (80 mph) 10-minute sustained. The Hong Kong Observatory
also assessed Tingting to have winds of 150 km/h (90 mph) 10-minute sustained, or 160 km/h (105 mph) 1-minute sustained. However, Dr. Karl Hoarau of Cergy-Pontoise University
near Paris, France
proposed that Tingting was stronger than officially reported. He estimated that the storm reached peak 1-minute sustained winds between 160 km/h (105 mph) and 185 km/h (115 mph) on June 28.
until June 29. A small craft advisory
was also issued for rest of the Mariana Islands. A typhoon warning was declared for most of the islands on June 27. The United States Air Force Base in the Mariana Islands was placed under Tropical Cyclone Condition of Readiness Four, the lowest level of readiness, as Tingting approached.
As Typhoon Tingting approached the Mariana Islands
, three Chinese women drowned in rough seas produced by the storm in Saipan
. On June 28, Tingting produced strong winds throughout the region. Sustained winds on Guam reached 82 km/h (51 mph) with gusts to 106 km/h (66 mph); a pressure of 994.6 hPa (mbar) was also recorded on the island. Although located closer to the center of Tingting, Rota
reported lower winds than Guam; the highest sustained wind reached 70 km/h (44 mph) with gusts of 93 km/h (58 mph). Due to the lack of sufficient observations on Tinian, the highest sustained winds recorded were suspected to be lower than what they really were. Winds of 56 km/h (35 mph) were recorded several times with gusts to 84 km/h (52 mph). Sustained winds on Saipan were recorded up to 100 km/h (62 mph) with gusts to 124 km/h (77 mph); a pressure of 984.9 hPa (mbar) was also recorded. The highest winds during Typhoon Tingting throughout the Mariana Islands were measured on Pagan Island where 106 km/h (66 mph) sustained winds were recorded along with a gust of 212 km/h (132 mph).
Although Tingting passed about 400 km (250 mi) to the northeast of Guam, torrential rains from a monsoon
al feeder band
produced record-breaking rainfall. In the span of 24 hours, 554.99 mm (21.85 in) of rain fell on Guam, shattering both the record for highest single day rainfall and the monthly rainfall for June at 80.26 mm (3.16 in) and 371.09 mm (14.61 in) respectively. Most of the northern areas of the island received more than 510 mm (20 in) of rain but the southern areas of Guam reported much lower totals. At Anderson Air Force Base, a total of 287.78 mm (11.33 in) of rain was recorded over a 30-hour span. Rota recorded much less rainfall than Guam, having 145.28 mm (5.72 in) during 24 hours and a storm total of 221.99 mm (8.75 in). No rainfall was recorded on both Tinian and Pagan Island due to the lack of observations. On Saipan, a total of 197.61 mm (7.78 in) was measured.
The record-breaking rainfall in Guam produced severe flooding and numerous landslides throughout the island. A total of 57 homes were destroyed and another 624 were damaged. Crop damages on the island amounted to $500,000 with most of the farmers reporting total crop losses. One person died after being swept away along a flooded road. Total property damages totaled to $6 million. Most of the damage on Rota resulted from flooding and high seas. The port on the island suffered $1 million in damages and crop losses amounted to $500,000. The same day that Tingting made its closest approach to Guam, a 19-year-old was swept off a reef and drowned in rough seas produced by the typhoon. On Tinian and Saipan, unlike Guam and Rota, most of the damage was a result of the winds. A total of 4 homes were destroyed and 24 others sustained major damage on Tinian while another 4 were destroyed, 81 sustained major damage, and another 101 were affected on Saipan. Schools on the two islands sustained a combined $92,737 in damages. At Saipan's port, an oil tanker sank, spilling thousands of gallons of oil into the water.
Throughout the Saipan, 50 power lines, 20 transformers, and 6 power poles were damaged or destroyed, leaving 25 percent of the islands' residents without power and $300,000 in damages. An estimated 90 percent of the banana trees were knocked down, contributing to the $518,000 in crop losses. Property losses on the two islands was estimated at $1.6 million. On the islands of Alamagan
, Pagan, and Agrihan all private homes, a total of six, were destroyed, the food stores and crops were lost, and the water supply was contaminated. The main public facility, which was used as a storm shelter on Alamagan, sustained heavy damage. Damages from the three islands amounted to $500,000. The following day, five people went out kayaking however, the rough seas overturned the kayaks and all five drowned. Numerous water rescues on jet skis had to be made as residents became stranded in their cars after driving into flooded roads. Damages throughout the islands amounted to $11.2 million.
, of which 77 mm (3 in) fell in 24 hours. Chichi-jima experienced the strongest winds associated with the cyclone in the Bonin Islands; sustained winds reached 65 km/h (40 mph) and gusts peaked at 146 km/h (91 mph). At 1500 UTC, a pressure of 959.4 hectopascals (28.3 inHg) was recorded on the island. The high winds produced by the storm caused power outages throughout the islands, with Chichi-jima losing power for nearly two hours. No known property damage resulted from the passage of Tingting.
Throughout eastern Japan, large swells produced by Tingting caused moderate coastal damage and killed two people. In Urakawa District, Hokkaidō
, the local fishing industry sustained considerable damage, amounting to 20.5 million JPY
($240,000 USD). Moisture from the storm also enhanced rainfall in the Shizuoka Prefecture
, resulting in a record daily rainfall of 368 mm (14.5 in) in Shizuoka City
on June 29. The rains led to significant flooding and several landslides; 921 homes were flooded and an estimated 160,000 residences were without power at the height of the storm. Damage was estimated to be 540 million JPY ($6.3 million USD).
declare a major disaster area for the commonwealth. Governor Juan N. Babauta
reported that the islands needed at least $2.5 million to repair damages from the typhoon. The cost to repair infrastructure and cleanup debris on Rota totaled $762,000. A helicopter carrying relief supplies was sent to the Pagan and Agrihan, where people had no food. The American Red Cross
also provided $17,000 in assistance. The Government of Guam requested $6 million in aid from the Federal Emergency Management Agency
(FEMA) to repair the damages from Tingting. On July 29, George Bush approved the request for a disaster declaration and federal aid began to be sent to the Mariana Islands and Guam. Almost a month later, the islands of Agrigan, Alamagan, and Pagan were granted public assistance. In mid-August, Typhoon Chaba caused significant damage in the Mariana Islands. A bill was passed following the storm to allow up to 500 people to be hired as temporary workers on Saipan and Tinian. In mid-September, a request was made by the commonwealth for $10 million in natural disaster mitigation following the effects of successive typhoons in the region. The funds were to be used for cleanup efforts, aid residents struggling in the wake of the storms and help reduce unemployment.
During the 38th session of the Typhoon Committee of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific and the World Meteorological Organization, Hong Kong
requested that the name Tingting be removed from the naming lists.
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...
that produced record-breaking rains in Guam
Guam
Guam is an organized, unincorporated territory of the United States located in the western Pacific Ocean. It is one of five U.S. territories with an established civilian government. Guam is listed as one of 16 Non-Self-Governing Territories by the Special Committee on Decolonization of the United...
. The eighth named storm
Tropical cyclone naming
Tropical cyclones have officially been named since 1945 and are named for a variety of reasons, which include to facilitate communications between forecasters and the public when forecasts, watches, and warnings are issued. Names also reduce confusion about what storm is being described, as more...
of the 2004 Pacific typhoon season
2004 Pacific typhoon season
The 2004 Pacific typhoon season has no official bounds; it ran year-round in 2004, but most tropical cyclones tend to form in the northwestern Pacific Ocean between May and November...
, Tingting originated from a tropical depression over the open waters of the western Pacific Ocean
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...
. The storm gradually intensified as it traveled northwest, becoming a typhoon on June 28 and reaching its peak the following day while passing through the Mariana Islands
Mariana Islands
The Mariana Islands are an arc-shaped archipelago made up by the summits of 15 volcanic mountains in the north-western Pacific Ocean between the 12th and 21st parallels north and along the 145th meridian east...
. After maintaining typhoon intensity for three days, a combination of dry air and cooler sea surface temperatures caused the storm to weaken as it traveled northward. On July 1, the storm passed by the Bonin Islands, off the coast of Japan, before moving out to sea. By July 4, Tinting had transitioned into an extratropical cyclone
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...
. The remnants were last reported by 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...
, the Regional Specialized Meteorological Center
Regional 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...
for the western Pacific basin
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...
, near the international date line
International Date Line
The International Date Line is a generally north-south imaginary line on the surface of the Earth, passing through the middle of the Pacific Ocean, that designates the place where each calendar day begins...
on July 13.
While passing through the Mariana Islands, Typhoon Tingting produced torrential rains which triggered flooding and numerous landslides. In Guam, 554.99 mm (21.85 in) of rain fell in 24 hours, breaking the daily and monthly rainfall records for June. Winds gusted up to 212 km/h (132 mph), causing significant structural damage, amounting to $6 million in losses. One fatality occurred as a result of flooding and nine others resulted from rough seas. In the Mariana Islands, 71 homes were destroyed and hundreds were damaged; losses totaled $11.2 million. In Japan, two people were killed by rough seas.All damage figures are in 2004 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....
Meteorological history
On June 24, 2004, an area of low pressureLow pressure area
A low-pressure area, or "low", is a region where the atmospheric pressure at sea level is below that of surrounding locations. Low-pressure systems form under areas of wind divergence which occur in upper levels of the troposphere. The formation process of a low-pressure area is known as...
associated with developing 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 about 1,110 km (690 mi) to the east-southeast of Guam
Guam
Guam is an organized, unincorporated territory of the United States located in the western Pacific Ocean. It is one of five U.S. territories with an established civilian government. Guam is listed as one of 16 Non-Self-Governing Territories by the Special Committee on Decolonization of the United...
. Early the next day, as the system began to intensify, 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 monitoring the low pressure as a tropical depression. With 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...
and favorable diffluence
Deformation (meteorology)
Deformation is the rate of change of shape of fluid bodies. Meteorologically, this quantity is very important in the formation of atmospheric fronts, in the explanation of cloud shapes, and in the diffusion of materials and properties.-Equations:...
, 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...
for the storm at 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...
, classifying it as Tropical Depression 11W twelve hours later. The depression traveled towards the northwest along the edge of a mid-latitude ridge
Ridge (meteorology)
A ridge is an elongated region of relatively high atmospheric pressure, the opposite of a trough....
. Outer bands
Rainband
A rainband is a cloud and precipitation structure associated with an area of rainfall which is significantly elongated. Rainbands can be stratiform or convective, and are generated by differences in temperature. When noted on weather radar imagery, this precipitation elongation is referred to as...
began developing around the system, although the ridge to its north restricted 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...
. About 24 hours after the JMA designated the depression, the agency upgraded it to a tropical storm and named it Tingting, which was contributed by Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
and is a fairly common pet name for young girls. At 0600 UTC on June 26, the JTWC also classified Tingting as a tropical storm.
As Tingting tracked northwestward, it continued to develop outflow in all directions. The storm slowly intensified as it traveled towards the Mariana Islands
Mariana Islands
The Mariana Islands are an arc-shaped archipelago made up by the summits of 15 volcanic mountains in the north-western Pacific Ocean between the 12th and 21st parallels north and along the 145th meridian east...
, strengthening into a severe tropical storm early on June 27. Later that day, a ragged eye
Eye (cyclone)
The eye is a region of mostly calm weather found at the center of strong tropical cyclones. The eye of a storm is a roughly circular area and typically 30–65 km in diameter. It is surrounded by the eyewall, a ring of towering thunderstorms where the second most severe weather of a cyclone...
began to form. The ridge influencing the track of Tingting moved eastward, causing the storm to begin a gradual turn towards the north At 0000 UTC on June 28, the JTWC upgraded the storm to a minimal typhoon, the equivalent of a Category 1 hurricane 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...
, and the JMA followed about six hours later. Several hours later, Tingting passed through the central Mariana Islands, tracking near the small island of Sarigan
Sarigan
Sarigan is a small island in the Northern Mariana Island chain. It is the result of a Holocene Era stratovolcano with no known historic eruptions, although a swarm of volcano-tectonic earthquakes took place here in the summer of 2005....
, while continuing to intensify. At 0900 UTC, the typhoon reached its peak intensity with winds of 150 km/h (90 mph) according to both agencies and a minimum pressure of 955 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...
(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...
). With low wind shear, further strengthening was anticipated as it neared the Bonin Islands. However, the typhoon began to weaken due to increasing dry air and decreasing sea surface temperature
Sea surface temperature
Sea surface temperature is the water temperature close to the oceans surface. The exact meaning of surface varies according to the measurement method used, but it is between and below the sea surface. Air masses in the Earth's atmosphere are highly modified by sea surface temperatures within a...
s. On June 30, Tingting passed within 95 km (60 mi) east of Iwo Jima
Iwo Jima
Iwo Jima, officially , is an island of the Japanese Volcano Islands chain, which lie south of the Ogasawara Islands and together with them form the Ogasawara Archipelago. The island is located south of mainland Tokyo and administered as part of Ogasawara, one of eight villages of Tokyo...
. Later that day, the storm's eye dissipated as convection around the center of circulation weakened.
On July 1, the JTWC downgraded Tingting to a tropical storm. At 1200 UTC the following day, the JMA downgraded the storm to a severe tropical storm as winds decreased below 120 km/h (75 mph 10-minute winds). Convection associated with the storm began to diminish as Tingting began to undergo an extratropical transition
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...
. Although the storm maintained its intensity as a severe tropical storm, it was moving into increasingly unfavorable conditions and weakening was anticipated. As Tingting tracked towards the northeast into the mid-latitude westerlies
Westerlies
The Westerlies, anti-trades, or Prevailing Westerlies, are the prevailing winds in the middle latitudes between 30 and 60 degrees latitude, blowing from the high pressure area in the horse latitudes towards the poles. These prevailing winds blow from the west to the east, and steer extratropical...
, it completed its extratropical transition on July 4. After becoming an extratropical cyclone, Tingting accelerated towards the north before abruptly stalling near the Kamchatka Peninsula
Kamchatka Peninsula
The Kamchatka Peninsula is a peninsula in the Russian Far East, with an area of . It lies between the Pacific Ocean to the east and the Sea of Okhotsk to the west...
. On July 6, the extratropical remnants of Tingting were absorbed by a developing area of low pressure located to the south of the former typhoon. However, the JMA continued to monitor Tingting as a separate system as it executed a counter-clockwise loop though July 10 before heading towards the international date line
International Date Line
The International Date Line is a generally north-south imaginary line on the surface of the Earth, passing through the middle of the Pacific Ocean, that designates the place where each calendar day begins...
. The storm was last reported on July 13 to the west Aleutian Islands.
Differences among warning centers
The Japan Meteorological AgencyJapan 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...
uses 10-minute sustained winds for its tropical cyclone tracking information, while 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...
uses 1-minute sustained winds. JMA's peak intensity for Tingting was 150 km/h (90 mph) 10-minute sustained, or 160 km/h (105 mph) 1-minute sustained. The JTWC's peak intensity for Tingting was also 150 km/h (90 mph) 1-minute sustained, or 130 km/h (80 mph) 10-minute sustained. The Hong Kong Observatory
Hong Kong Observatory
Hong Kong Observatory is a department of the Hong Kong government. The Observatory forecasts weather and issues warnings on weather-related hazards...
also assessed Tingting to have winds of 150 km/h (90 mph) 10-minute sustained, or 160 km/h (105 mph) 1-minute sustained. However, Dr. Karl Hoarau of Cergy-Pontoise University
Cergy-Pontoise University
Cergy-Pontoise University is a French university, in the Academy of Versailles.Cergy-Pontoise University is a public university and a leading centre of teaching and research, which welcomes 17,700 students and 1,500 international students interested in studying abroad.The university is ideally...
near Paris, France
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
proposed that Tingting was stronger than officially reported. He estimated that the storm reached peak 1-minute sustained winds between 160 km/h (105 mph) and 185 km/h (115 mph) on June 28.
Preparations and impact
Throughout its track, Tingting was responsible for 12 fatalities, 10 in the Mariana Islands and two in Japan; it also left $23.7 million in damage behind, $17.2 million in the Mariana Islands and $6.5 million in Japan.Mariana Islands
An estimated 300 people in Guam evacuated to emergency shelters in advance of Typhoon Tingting. Several schools throughout Guam were being used as shelters. A tropical storm warning and a flash flood warning, which were issued several hours before the typhoon warning, were kept in place for GuamGuam
Guam is an organized, unincorporated territory of the United States located in the western Pacific Ocean. It is one of five U.S. territories with an established civilian government. Guam is listed as one of 16 Non-Self-Governing Territories by the Special Committee on Decolonization of the United...
until June 29. A small craft advisory
Small craft advisory
A small craft advisory is a type of warning issued by the National Weather Service in the United States, most frequently in coastal areas. It is issued when winds have reached, or are expected to reach within 12 hours, a speed marginally less than gale force....
was also issued for rest of the Mariana Islands. A typhoon warning was declared for most of the islands on June 27. The United States Air Force Base in the Mariana Islands was placed under Tropical Cyclone Condition of Readiness Four, the lowest level of readiness, as Tingting approached.
As Typhoon Tingting approached the Mariana Islands
Mariana Islands
The Mariana Islands are an arc-shaped archipelago made up by the summits of 15 volcanic mountains in the north-western Pacific Ocean between the 12th and 21st parallels north and along the 145th meridian east...
, three Chinese women drowned in rough seas produced by the storm in Saipan
Saipan
Saipan is the largest island of the United States Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands , a chain of 15 tropical islands belonging to the Marianas archipelago in the western Pacific Ocean with a total area of . The 2000 census population was 62,392...
. On June 28, Tingting produced strong winds throughout the region. Sustained winds on Guam reached 82 km/h (51 mph) with gusts to 106 km/h (66 mph); a pressure of 994.6 hPa (mbar) was also recorded on the island. Although located closer to the center of Tingting, Rota
Rota (island)
Rota also known as the "peaceful island", is the southernmost island of the United States Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands and the second southernmost of the Marianas Archipelago. It lies approximately 40 miles north-northeast of the United States territory of Guam...
reported lower winds than Guam; the highest sustained wind reached 70 km/h (44 mph) with gusts of 93 km/h (58 mph). Due to the lack of sufficient observations on Tinian, the highest sustained winds recorded were suspected to be lower than what they really were. Winds of 56 km/h (35 mph) were recorded several times with gusts to 84 km/h (52 mph). Sustained winds on Saipan were recorded up to 100 km/h (62 mph) with gusts to 124 km/h (77 mph); a pressure of 984.9 hPa (mbar) was also recorded. The highest winds during Typhoon Tingting throughout the Mariana Islands were measured on Pagan Island where 106 km/h (66 mph) sustained winds were recorded along with a gust of 212 km/h (132 mph).
Although Tingting passed about 400 km (250 mi) to the northeast of Guam, torrential rains from 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 feeder band
Rainband
A rainband is a cloud and precipitation structure associated with an area of rainfall which is significantly elongated. Rainbands can be stratiform or convective, and are generated by differences in temperature. When noted on weather radar imagery, this precipitation elongation is referred to as...
produced record-breaking rainfall. In the span of 24 hours, 554.99 mm (21.85 in) of rain fell on Guam, shattering both the record for highest single day rainfall and the monthly rainfall for June at 80.26 mm (3.16 in) and 371.09 mm (14.61 in) respectively. Most of the northern areas of the island received more than 510 mm (20 in) of rain but the southern areas of Guam reported much lower totals. At Anderson Air Force Base, a total of 287.78 mm (11.33 in) of rain was recorded over a 30-hour span. Rota recorded much less rainfall than Guam, having 145.28 mm (5.72 in) during 24 hours and a storm total of 221.99 mm (8.75 in). No rainfall was recorded on both Tinian and Pagan Island due to the lack of observations. On Saipan, a total of 197.61 mm (7.78 in) was measured.
The record-breaking rainfall in Guam produced severe flooding and numerous landslides throughout the island. A total of 57 homes were destroyed and another 624 were damaged. Crop damages on the island amounted to $500,000 with most of the farmers reporting total crop losses. One person died after being swept away along a flooded road. Total property damages totaled to $6 million. Most of the damage on Rota resulted from flooding and high seas. The port on the island suffered $1 million in damages and crop losses amounted to $500,000. The same day that Tingting made its closest approach to Guam, a 19-year-old was swept off a reef and drowned in rough seas produced by the typhoon. On Tinian and Saipan, unlike Guam and Rota, most of the damage was a result of the winds. A total of 4 homes were destroyed and 24 others sustained major damage on Tinian while another 4 were destroyed, 81 sustained major damage, and another 101 were affected on Saipan. Schools on the two islands sustained a combined $92,737 in damages. At Saipan's port, an oil tanker sank, spilling thousands of gallons of oil into the water.
Throughout the Saipan, 50 power lines, 20 transformers, and 6 power poles were damaged or destroyed, leaving 25 percent of the islands' residents without power and $300,000 in damages. An estimated 90 percent of the banana trees were knocked down, contributing to the $518,000 in crop losses. Property losses on the two islands was estimated at $1.6 million. On the islands of Alamagan
Alamagan
The Northern Marianas island of Alamagan is located north from Saipan and is 11.12 km² in area. The island's volcano has a large caldera at the summit. The volcano last erupted around 870 AD, with an error bar of 100 years. It involved pyroclastic flows, and had a VEI of 4...
, Pagan, and Agrihan all private homes, a total of six, were destroyed, the food stores and crops were lost, and the water supply was contaminated. The main public facility, which was used as a storm shelter on Alamagan, sustained heavy damage. Damages from the three islands amounted to $500,000. The following day, five people went out kayaking however, the rough seas overturned the kayaks and all five drowned. Numerous water rescues on jet skis had to be made as residents became stranded in their cars after driving into flooded roads. Damages throughout the islands amounted to $11.2 million.
Japan
Between June 30 and July 1, Tingting brushed the Bonin Islands with heavy rainfall and high winds. The storm dropped 105 mm (4.1 in) of precipitation on Chichi-jimaChichi-jima
, formerly known as Peel Island and in the 19th century known to the English as part of the Bonin Islands, is the largest island in the Ogasawara archipelago. Chichi-jima is approximately 150 miles north of Iwo Jima. The island is within the political boundaries of Ogasawara Town, Ogasawara...
, of which 77 mm (3 in) fell in 24 hours. Chichi-jima experienced the strongest winds associated with the cyclone in the Bonin Islands; sustained winds reached 65 km/h (40 mph) and gusts peaked at 146 km/h (91 mph). At 1500 UTC, a pressure of 959.4 hectopascals (28.3 inHg) was recorded on the island. The high winds produced by the storm caused power outages throughout the islands, with Chichi-jima losing power for nearly two hours. No known property damage resulted from the passage of Tingting.
Throughout eastern Japan, large swells produced by Tingting caused moderate coastal damage and killed two people. In Urakawa District, Hokkaidō
Urakawa District, Hokkaido
is a district located in Hidaka Subprefecture, Hokkaidō, Japan.As of 2004, the district has an estimated population of 15,986 and a density of 23.03 persons per km². The total area is 694.23 km².-Towns and villages:*Urakawa...
, the local fishing industry sustained considerable damage, amounting to 20.5 million JPY
Japanese yen
The is the official currency of Japan. It is the third most traded currency in the foreign exchange market after the United States dollar and the euro. It is also widely used as a reserve currency after the U.S. dollar, the euro and the pound sterling...
($240,000 USD). Moisture from the storm also enhanced rainfall in the Shizuoka Prefecture
Shizuoka Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan located in the Chūbu region on Honshu island. The capital is the city of Shizuoka.- History :Shizuoka prefecture was formed from the former Tōtōmi, Suruga and Izu provinces.The area was the home of the first Tokugawa Shogun...
, resulting in a record daily rainfall of 368 mm (14.5 in) in Shizuoka City
Shizuoka, Shizuoka
is the capital city of Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan, and the prefecture's second-largest city in terms of both population and area. It became one of Japan's 19 "designated cities" in 2005.-Geography:...
on June 29. The rains led to significant flooding and several landslides; 921 homes were flooded and an estimated 160,000 residences were without power at the height of the storm. Damage was estimated to be 540 million JPY ($6.3 million USD).
Aftermath and retirement
On July 9, the Government of the Mariana Islands requested that President George W. BushGeorge W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
declare a major disaster area for the commonwealth. Governor Juan N. Babauta
Juan N. Babauta
Juan Nekai Babauta is a Northern Mariana Islander politician. Babauta served as the sixth elected Governor of the United States Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands for one term from January 14, 2002 until January 9, 2006....
reported that the islands needed at least $2.5 million to repair damages from the typhoon. The cost to repair infrastructure and cleanup debris on Rota totaled $762,000. A helicopter carrying relief supplies was sent to the Pagan and Agrihan, where people had no food. The American Red Cross
American Red Cross
The American Red Cross , also known as the American National Red Cross, is a volunteer-led, humanitarian organization that provides emergency assistance, disaster relief and education inside the United States. It is the designated U.S...
also provided $17,000 in assistance. The Government of Guam requested $6 million in aid from the Federal Emergency Management Agency
Federal Emergency Management Agency
The Federal Emergency Management Agency is an agency of the United States Department of Homeland Security, initially created by Presidential Reorganization Plan No. 1 of 1978 and implemented by two Executive Orders...
(FEMA) to repair the damages from Tingting. On July 29, George Bush approved the request for a disaster declaration and federal aid began to be sent to the Mariana Islands and Guam. Almost a month later, the islands of Agrigan, Alamagan, and Pagan were granted public assistance. In mid-August, Typhoon Chaba caused significant damage in the Mariana Islands. A bill was passed following the storm to allow up to 500 people to be hired as temporary workers on Saipan and Tinian. In mid-September, a request was made by the commonwealth for $10 million in natural disaster mitigation following the effects of successive typhoons in the region. The funds were to be used for cleanup efforts, aid residents struggling in the wake of the storms and help reduce unemployment.
During the 38th session of the Typhoon Committee of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific and the World Meteorological Organization, Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
requested that the name Tingting be removed from the naming lists.