Chaba Advisories

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#121 Postby PurdueWx80 » Mon Aug 23, 2004 4:46 pm

nikolai wrote:its amazing how huge those things are.


Yeah it is. During the day yesterday Chaba had multiple mesovortices in the mostly clear eye, as did Isabel when she was a Cat 5 last year. As soon as the MODIS page comes back up I'll check to see if they have any of their high-res images of her.
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#122 Postby jabber » Mon Aug 23, 2004 5:53 pm

Hummmm .... just kidding... nice pic can you imagine the boards if the Atlantic looked the same :D
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Overview of Situation in Marianas from PDN

#123 Postby Cyclone Runner » Mon Aug 23, 2004 6:14 pm

CNMI suffers blow from Chaba

http://www.guampdn.com/

By Katie Worth
Pacific Daily News; kworth@guampdn.com
Photo courtesy of the CNMI Emergency Management Office

Image
Saipan: A man checks out what's left of a Saipan home, one of many houses damaged by Supertyphoon Chaba.

Supertyphoon Chaba pummeled Guam's sister islands to the north, according to reports from the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands.

The storm's eye -- which had a radius of about 40 miles -- treaded just about halfway between the islands of Tinian and Rota, so both islands endured the brunt of the storm. Saipan, only 10 miles north of Tinian, also was in a disastrous state yesterday.

Federal Emergency Management Agency Administrator Alice Duffy, administrative section chief on Guam, said in addition to the two teams that will be sent around Guam for damage assessment, a team will travel to the Northern Mariana Islands by helicopter to do an initial assessment.

Also, Gov. Felix Camacho announced plans to lead a recovery team to Rota today.

By around 11 p.m. Sunday, Rota was only about 30 miles from the center of the storm, and it spent six hours -- until about 2 a.m. -- in the storm's eye wall, said National Weather Service meteorologist Paul Stanko. Rota's highest recorded sustained winds were about 66 mph -- a figure admittedly low, said Stanko, considering the highest recorded gusts reached 136 miles per hour.

The meteorologists don't have exact numbers for Tinian, which at the closest point of approach was about 40 miles from the storm's center, because the instruments they have on the island are not working, Stanko said. However, meteorologists have estimated that sustained winds reached at least 58 mph with gusts to 81 mph.

On Saipan, which was 50 miles from the storm's center, instruments measured the highest sustained winds at 62 mph with gusts up to 78 mph.

CNMI Lt. Gov. Diego Benavente, reached at Saipan's Emergency Management Office yesterday afternoon, said the CNMI had about 1,000 people staying in typhoon shelters across the islands.

Many homes had been blown away, as well as tin roofs, he said, though he did not have an estimate of the number of families whose homes were damaged. He said before the storm, about 300 people had sought refuge in typhoon shelters on Saipan, but as the storm continued Sunday night, that number almost tripled as many fled from flooded or wind-damaged homes.

As of about 6 p.m. yesterday, only about 20 percent of Saipan's residents had power and the island's power agency worked through the day to repair downed lines and broken power stations, Benavente said. Once the power returned, the island's water system would be assessed, he said.

Communications between Saipan, Rota and Tinian had been sporadic, said Rudolpho Pua, director of the Emergency Management Office in Saipan, so the office didn't have a clear assessment of the status of those islands after the typhoon, he said.

Benavente said CNMI Gov. Juan Babauta had spoken with the Rota and Tinian mayors earlier yesterday and they confirmed that the two smaller islands had major damage. Today, Benavente said, he will go to Rota while the CNMI governor travels to Tinian.

Maria Rios, vice principal at Tinian Elementary School, said by phone she had heard reports of devastation of homes.

She said because Tinian tends to be hit by fewer and weaker typhoons than Guam, many people did not appear to be as prepared for a major storm.

"Most of the buildings here are still built with tin, not like in Guam where nearly everything is cement, so really there's a lot of havoc around here," she said.

She said the school, which currently has water, but no power, may open by Friday or next Monday, depending on the extent of damage around the island.

Pacific Daily News staff Theresa Merto contributed to this report.

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Overview of Situation in Guam from PDN

#124 Postby Cyclone Runner » Mon Aug 23, 2004 6:20 pm

On road to recovery
Crews dispatched to restore utility services

By Theresa Merto
Ric A. Eusebio/Pacific Daily News/reusebio@guampdn.com

Image
Shelter from storm: Sean Sablan, 6, right, plays a video game as his mother, Christine Sablan, 38, center, holds him and his brother Reyvann Sablan, 7, in her arms while at Astumbo Elementary School in Dededo. The Sablan family was among the 427 people who still were occupying the school yesterday after Supertyphoon Chaba.

Image
Repairs: Guam Power Authority troubleshooter Mike Tajalle, 28, of Piti makes repairs to a power line in Barrigada yesterday.

There were four storm-related injuries, some flooding and thousands of residents lost power, but all in all Guam was fortunate compared to nearby islands following the passage of Typhoon Chaba, which became a supertyphoon early yesterday.

Restoration efforts were under way at first light yesterday, after Chaba made its closest point of approach at 10 p.m. Sunday, bringing maximum sustained winds of 52 mph with gusts to 66 mph. The storm came within 75 miles from the island.

Guam Power Authority and Guam Waterworks Authority crews were expected to work throughout last night to restore service. As of 5 p.m. yesterday, 53 percent of the island had power, GPA spokesman Art Perez said.

At 5 p.m., the center of Supertyphoon Chaba was located about 210 miles northwest of Guam, 200 miles northwest of Rota, 195 miles west-northwest of Tinian and 200 miles west-northwest of Saipan. The maximum sustained winds were 180 mph with gusts to 220 mph. The storm was expected to intensify, said meteorologist Paul Stanko, with the National Weather Service.

From Sunday through Monday, about 9.3 inches of rainfall was recorded at the Antonio B. Won Pat International Airport Guam, while about 9.6 inches of rain was recorded at Andersen Air Force Base. Saipan recorded 7.9 inches of rainfall and Rota recorded 12.6 inches of rain.

Guam was placed in Condition of Readiness 4, or all clear, at 4 p.m. yesterday. All government of Guam agencies will be open today, but public schools will be closed. DOE administrators and support staff, however, are asked to report to their respective schools to assess damage.

Gov. Felix Camacho is expected to lead a team of government workers to Saipan and Rota to help with recovery efforts. The team, which will include workers from the Guam Power Authority and Department of Public Works, is expected to leave today.

According to Joint Information Center lead public information officer Shawn Gumataotao, one person was treated for a storm-related fall and three others were treated for lacerations at Guam Memorial Hospital. They had minor injuries.

Meanwhile, rescue officials received a 911 call just after 5 p.m. yesterday of a reported swimmer in distress. Guam Fire Department spokeswoman Firefighter Phyllis Blas said yesterday that a boogie boarder was reported over the reef near the Aha'hayan Bridge, between Merizo and Inarajan. But the boogie boarder safely made it back to shore and the rescue was called off.

Residents are advised to stay out of Guam waters, which are still dangerous despite the storm's passage.

Power

As of 5 p.m. yesterday, about 53 percent of the island had power, according to Guam Power Authority spokesman Art Perez. That number, however, did not include the Navy and Air Force circuits.

During the storm, 65 percent of the island had power, including Navy and Air Force circuits.

Perez yesterday afternoon said it is too early to determine when power will be fully restored, but added that the power crews will continue working as long as weather permits. Crews worked during the storm to restore power to Guam Memorial Hospital. The hospital started receiving power just before 2 p.m. yesterday.

"The restoration efforts are focused on primary circuits," Perez said. Primary circuits include schools, major water-well circuits, and "major high-density" residential and commercial areas, including parts of Dededo and Yigo.

Perez said there have been major circuit outages in Tamuning, Mongmong-Toto-Maite, parts of Dededo and Mangilao, Talofofo, Yona, Inarajan and Yigo.

"There are other reported outages from villages and those are isolated trouble reports that are being given to the GPA dispatch at this time," Gumataotao said. "All (GPA) customers are advised to have safe operations of their generator units should their home or businesses be affected by power outages."

Gumataotao said main breaker switches should be turned off and all generators should be properly ventilated.

"And the disconnect switches must be properly installed by a certified electrician, as this will prevent a back-feed of power onto the power lines," he said.

There have been some reports of power fluctuations. In these instances, residents are asked to protect all vital electrical appliances and equipment by unplugging them or using surge protection equipment.

"Parts of the system are still unstable. As we energize more circuits, there may be some snags in the line, there may be some vegetation ... that may lead to some voltage fluctuations," Perez said. "As we energize more circuits and these situations occur, we would encourage customers to call into our trouble dispatch and report them."

Water

Throughout the island, residents were experiencing low to no water pressure.

Guam Waterworks Authority placed water tankers at: the former Bunny Hardware site in Maite, the Erskin Drive area in Agat, the Munoz area in Chalan Kotda in Dededo, J.P. Torres Alternative School in Santa Rita, Piti Community Center and Latte Plantation in Mangilao.

As of yesterday, crews were trying to clear out the Ugum Water Treatment Plant, which was shut down Sunday because of debris. Meanwhile, the Navy Water Treatment Plant was shut down because of high turbidity in the water, said Senior Chief Petty Officer Jonathan Annis, Deputy Public Affairs Officer for the Navy.

"The priority now is to get water production back on. When our production is back, then our priority is to fill our reserve tanks and supply water to our customers," Annis said. "We are working around the clock. We got a lot of people on it."

"They are working as hard as they can on it," Annis said, adding that there also was very low water pressure on the base.

Public Works

The Department of Public Works reported all roads and bridges have been deemed passable, Gumataotao said. During the passage of the storm, several roadways were impassable, including Marine Corps Drive near Polaris Point.

The Ordot landfill resumed operations yesterday.

Chaba babies

As of 9 p.m. Sunday, 95 expectant mothers checked in at Guam Memorial Hospital. As of noon yesterday, 16 expectant mothers remained, with seven babies born from Sunday through Monday, Gumataotao said.

Airport

At noon yesterday, Continental Micronesia resumed regular services for all of its flights. Japan Airlines arrivals and departures resumed yesterday. Continental Connection flights between Saipan and Rota also resumed. Northwest Airlines also has resumed regular operations. All Nippon Airways is scheduled to operate additional flights in and out of Guam today.

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Supertyphoon Chaba image from MODIS

#125 Postby PurdueWx80 » Tue Aug 24, 2004 6:32 pm

It will be amazing once we have a geostationary satellite with high enough resolution to see an image like this looped.

Image

Breathtaking!
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#126 Postby Dean4Storms » Tue Aug 24, 2004 6:47 pm

That would give you a bad hair day unless you had none to begin with! :lol:
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#127 Postby Aquawind » Tue Aug 24, 2004 6:54 pm

The crowd in the stadium cheers.. 8-)
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#128 Postby HURAKAN » Tue Aug 24, 2004 7:01 pm

Amazing and terrifying at the same time.
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#129 Postby Cyclone Runner » Tue Aug 24, 2004 7:06 pm

Truly Awesome!!! Sort of like the "Breath of God"

And the bloody feeder band still over Guam and the Northern Marianas. Poor folks will need to seriously dry out!!
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#130 Postby bahamaswx » Tue Aug 24, 2004 7:10 pm

Beautiful.
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Chaba kills 1; injures 13; destroys 1168 homes in Marianas

#131 Postby Cyclone Runner » Thu Aug 26, 2004 1:09 am

Chaba wrecks 1,168 homes

http://www.saipantribune.com/
By John Ravelo, Reporter

Hundreds of residents remain homeless after Supertyphoon Chaba's strong winds and accompanying rains blew away roofs and flooded homes, leaving more than a thousand houses destroyed or significantly damaged.

As of yesterday, the CNMI Emergency Operations Center reported that some 949 evacuees remained at government shelters on Saipan, Tinian, and Rota.

Initial assessment placed the number of destroyed houses at 299-198 on Saipan, 73 on Tinian, and 28 on Rota. The number of houses that sustained major damage reached 869-569 on Saipan, 178 on Tinian, and 122 on Rota. The findings placed the total number of houses that were either destroyed or significantly damaged at 1,168.

The number may still rise, as the EOC disclosed that assessments were ongoing.

EOC information and planning section chief Tony Calvo said evacuations to emergency shelters were still ongoing yesterday, two days after Chaba unleashed its fury on the islands.

The number of evacuees at government shelters remained at 949. Calvo said 785 persons were staying at 10 shelters on Saipan. A total of 111 evacuees remained at Rota's two shelters, while 53 were at a shelter on Tinian.

"Most shelters are at maximum capacity. Some shelters are exceeding capacity level [such] that uncertified rooms are being opened to accommodate them," Calvo said.

Calvo said authorities are evaluating three facilities on Saipan-the Kagman Community Center, the Ada Gymnasium, and the Northern Marianas College gymnasium-as possible long-term shelters to temporarily house evacuees who would be relocated from the schools possibly beginning tomorrow.

The Public School System had planned on resuming classes in public schools this week and has begun assessing classrooms' readiness. Yesterday, classes resumed at the Tinian High School, while the EOC disclosed the readiness of the Gregorio T. Camacho Elementary School and the Saipan Southern High School for resumption of classes.

Most schools that are currently being used as temporary shelters do not have power and water, according to the EOC. The NMC Lab School, meanwhile, had cancelled its classes for the entire week, setting their resumption on Monday.

ROTA STILL IN DARKNESS

Rota, severely battered by the supertyphoon for several hours, still has no electrical power generated by the Commonwealth Utilities Corp.

The EOC said Rota's generator would have to be dried out. The EOC said transmission lines would have to assessed and repaired before actual power restoration work could begin. Pre-restoration work may last up to three days pending the acquisition of heat lamps.

The EOC said, though, that 60-70 percent of Rota's power distribution network remained intact. Private hotel Rota Resort can supply parts of Rota with power.

"On Rota, potential medium-term concern is that gravity-fed water systems may not be recharged due to the loss of power for pumps," Calvo said. Authorities have advised the island's residents to boil water before using them. Approximately 25 percent of the island's water supply has been restored.

Meanwhile, Mobil Oil Mariana Islands Inc. said coastal tanker Golden Micronesia would arrive at the Rota Harbor possibly tomorrow to supply fuel.

"In addition, Mobil has reserved gasoline and diesel fuel [on] Rota and Tinian for the government's emergency needs to ensure recovery efforts are not restricted," said Cecile Bamba Suda, Mobil's public relations manager.

Mobil issued the statement following Mayor Benjamin Manglona's call for private companies to address Rota's looming fuel and food shortage, saying that current supplies were already running low.

Suda said Rota's fuel supply would be sufficient to cover demand until the scheduled arrival of the coastal tanker tomorrow.

On Tinian, she said the tanker might arrive on Sunday, so long as it could enter Tinian's Harbor. As of yesterday, however, the EOC said all harbors on the islands remained closed pending the completion of inspections.

Power supply on Saipan has been 85-percent restored, while Tinian has achieved about 90-percent power restoration. Water supply on Saipan and Tinian has been restored to 40- and 90-percent of their respective normal supplies.

While all airports on the three islands resumed normal operations, the EOC reported that Tinian Airport's 400-kv generator as inoperable. The EOC said that CUC would repair or replace the equipment.

CHABA INJURES 13

The supertyphoon left at least 13 persons injured and one person dead. Calvo clarified, though, that the cause of death has yet to be ascertained, while the injuries sustained by rest were only minor.

The EOC said the tourist, who was reported missing on Saipan's Grotto, has been presumed dead, possibly due to drowning. Police identified the missing person as Jiang Lin, a 38-year-old Chinese. Rough waters reportedly swallowed Jiang on Saturday, the eve of Chaba's approach to the islands.

The EOC cautioned motorists to be watchful of debris while driving. It added, though, that most of the island's primary and secondary roads have been cleared of debris, while traffic lights on Saipan are now operating.

The Department of Public Works yesterday waived the weekly limit on the volume of trash that could be dumped in the transfer station for free, allowing residential haulers to bring to the transfer stations up to three loads a day without assessed fees.

The Solid Waste Transfer Station in Lower Base would be opened until 6pm Monday through Friday.

DISASTER CANCELS LAWMAKERS' SESSIONS

The disaster brought by the supertyphoon resulted in the cancellation of sessions of both chambers of the CNMI Legislature, the building and offices of which got soaked in floodwaters.

House Speaker Benigno Fitial cancelled the session supposedly set on Rota today, while Senate President Joaquin Adriano reset yesterday's Senate session supposedly on Tinian to Sept. 14 at the Upper House chamber. Sept. 1's Senate session would be held on Sept. 16 instead at the same venue. Adriano also scheduled another session on Sept. 15.

Office desks and equipment were lined up yesterday at the legislative building's hallways, after employees trooped to Capitol Hill to clear offices of ponded water, wet carpets and equipment.

One of the employees said she swept up to three inches of floodwaters from her office. She went to the Legislature again yesterday to help clean up the mess.

"This is the first time that we have an aftermath of a typhoon, followed by flooding," said House Rep. Martin Ada.

House leadership spokesperson Charles Reyes Jr. said the legislative building sustained significant damage, with some offices having leaking roofs.

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#132 Postby Dave C » Thu Aug 26, 2004 5:25 am

....and there is another system dev. 400 miles east of Guam which should arrive in 2-3 days per JTWC. Not forecasted to reach typhoon strength but flooding rains and slow movement is certainly the last thing those folks need!!
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#133 Postby HurricaneBill » Thu Aug 26, 2004 5:26 pm

Aslkahuna wrote:Eh, I've seen larger typhoons and larger typhoon eyes. Just hope that whoever gets hit doesn't go through what Guam did with STY Pamela in 1976-6 hours of 100kt sustained winds and 18 hours of sustain typhoon force winds. STY Karen in 1962, though, remains Guam's all time worse hit. The JT watch log from that day is interesting to read.

Steve


Now THAT must have been one terrifying storm. Karen had sustained winds of at least 160 mph at landfall with gusts over 200 mph. Karen left 12 dead on Guam and pretty much obliterated all the buildings on Guam.
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Southern Japans Prepares for Onslaught of Typhoon Chaba

#134 Postby Cyclone Runner » Fri Aug 27, 2004 7:11 am

Japan braced for typhoon Chaba
ttp://www.itv.com/news/world_113907.html


10.51AM, Fri Aug 27 2004

Typhoon Chaba is churning its way towards Japan and is threatening further damage to areas battered by a deadly typhoon just over a week ago.

The storm, which has already claimed two lives, is heading for Okinawa and Japan's southernmost main island of Kyushu, with heavy rains predicted to rake a wide swathe of western and central Japan over the weekend.

Two men, one out surfing, were killed in western Japan on Thursday after being swept away by high waves spawned by the storm's approach.

Chaba is around 200 miles northeast of Minamidaito island in Okinawa prefecture and is moving northeast at a rate of 6 miles an hour.

"That is about the speed of a person riding a bicycle," said an official at Japan's Meteorological Agency.

"The slower a typhoon moves, the more potential for damage, since it means the winds will blow for a longer time and the rain will be much heavier," he added.

Winds near the storm's centre were gusting up to around 112mph. Television footage showed huge waves crashing on beaches and breakwaters, but there is still little rain.

The storm's expected course is similar to that of typhoon Megi, which last week set off landslides and flooding that killed ten people in Japan and at least three in South Korea before heading out to sea late last Friday.

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Main Feeder Bands of Typhoon Chaba Coming on Japan Radar

#135 Postby Cyclone Runner » Fri Aug 27, 2004 7:45 am

Here is a good looping radar for Southern Japan showing Typhoon Chaba moving into the region.

http://www.imoc.co.jp/rdam/rd4_ljp.htm


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#136 Postby Aquawind » Fri Aug 27, 2004 7:52 am

Cool radar..Bummer Chaba..
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Eye of Typhoon Chaba just Coming on to South Japan Radar

#137 Postby Cyclone Runner » Sat Aug 28, 2004 7:40 am

The still considerably sized eye of very slow moving, Category 3 Typhoon Chaba is finally coming on the South Japan looping radar at

http://www.imoc.co.jp/rdam/rd4_ljp.htm
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Updated News and Radar for Typhoon Chaba

#138 Postby Cyclone Runner » Sat Aug 28, 2004 6:15 pm

Nice radar loop of Chaba's eye approaching Southwest Japan

http://www.imoc.co.jp/rdam/rd4_ljp.htm

Japan braces for troubles as typhoons rumble
August 28 2004 at 11:17AM

Tokyo - Powerful typhoon Chaba was slowly bearing down on Japan on Saturday, threatening to unleash strong winds and heavy rain across southern and western parts of the country over the weekend.

Though downgraded from "super typhoon" status, the storm is likely to be the strongest to hit Japan this year, with winds near its centre gusting up to 160km/hour, and officials said it would coincide with the year's highest tides.

In Taiwan, helicopters evacuated about 300 people from mountain villages hit by typhoon Aere as heavy rains threatened more flooding and landslides, and in the Philippines, the death toll rose to 21 from the heaviest rains in three years.

August is typhoon season in the western Pacific.

The storms, which gather strength from warm sea waters and tend to dissipate after making landfall, frequently hit Taiwan, Japan, the Philippines, Hong Kong and southern China.

Japan's Meteorological Agency said Chaba, or "hibiscus" in Thai, was about 300km east-northeast of Minamidaito island in Okinawa prefecture by 11am (02h00GMT) and moving west at a speed of less than 9km/h.

Television showed people taping up their windows as high waves hit the coast and strong wind shook palm trees in Kagoshima prefecture on Japan's southernmost main island of Kyushu.

Two people were killed when they were swept away by high waves triggered by the storm on Thursday.

Chaba's expected course is similar to that of typhoon Megi, which last week set off landslides and flooding that killed 10 people in Japan and at least three in South Korea.

Japan's Meteorological Agency warned Chaba's slow speed could bring strong winds and heavy rains to areas in its path for a long time.

In Taiwan, about 300 people were evacuated from homes in the northern county of Hsinchu, hardest hit by Wednesday's typhoon. Television showed rescue officials bustling residents, some clutching children, into military helicopters.

"There is a danger of more people being buried alive with reports of more rain on the way, so we are evacuating people from around Wu Feng," a Hsinchu rescue official said by telephone.

In the village of Wu Feng, rescuers scoured rubble for seven people believed still buried when it was hit by a wall of mud and rock. Eight bodies have been pulled from the rubble.

The weather bureau warned of heavy rain in the mountains of Hsinchu and across southern Taiwan.

In the Philippines, President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo rode a Humvee military vehicle through her submerged hometown of Lubao north of Manila, as boats plied flooded streets alongside her convoy.

She shook hands with and hugged residents before attending a Catholic mass in a church knee-deep in water.

Disaster officials said four people were injured and four missing as waters rose chest-high in a plain of ricefields and fishponds in the provinces of Pampanga and Pangasinan.

Most of the 21 dead were either drowned or electrocuted, the National Disaster Coordinating Council said.

Philippine air force helicopters plucked people from roofs and dropped supplies to those marooned, as rescuers used rubber boats to carry dozens of others to higher ground.

Damage to crops and fisheries has cost 130 million pesos (R15,6-million), initial estimates show.

Three days of downpours have filled some dams to critical levels, forcing authorities to open their gates and let water into rivers, worsening the floods.

The rain across the Philippines this week was whipped up by Typhoons Aere and Chaba. Aere weakened to a tropical storm after pounding China's eastern city of Wenzhou and destroying nearly 1 500 buildings.

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#139 Postby senorpepr » Sat Aug 28, 2004 6:28 pm

Thanks for keeping us posted on Chaba. It should be interesting over the next few days for folks in Japan and South Korea.
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Typhoon Chaba Slams into Kyushu and Amami Islands

#140 Postby Cyclone Runner » Sun Aug 29, 2004 7:09 am

Good Looping Radar of Chaba from Southern Japan
http://www.imoc.co.jp/rdam/rd4_ljp.htm

Typhoon hits southern Japan

August 29, 2004 - 10:19PM

At least two people were injured.

Chaba, one of this year's strongest, had sustained winds of 162kph, and was churning over the tiny southern islands of Amami Oshima and Tanegashima in Kagoshima prefecture (state), the Meteorological Agency said.

The typhoon - travelling slowly north-west at 20kph - had reached the southernmost main island of Kyushu by this evening. The agency predicted it would churn along the length of Japan over the next three days.

Heavy rains were forecast across a wide swath of southern and western Japan, with as much as 800mm of rain expected in Kyushu and Shikoku islands over the next 24 hours.

Rainfall in other areas was expected to range between 150mm and 400mm, the agency said.

About 21,340 homes on nine small southern islands had lost power, public broadcaster NHK TV said.

In Naze city on Amami Oshima, winds blew the roof off one house and burst windows and tore apart shutters of about 20 other homes and office buildings, city official Kazuo Ueno said.

Two Naze city government officials suffered minor cuts when a sudden gust shattered the office's windows.

Hundreds in Kagoshima and Miyazaki prefectures had left their homes for public shelters, NHK said.

The Meteorological Agency warned of dangerous waves and the highest tides of the year along the Pacific coastline. The announcement prompted authorities in southern Japan to cancel ferry services and flights.

Japanese media reported that airlines had cancelled nearly 250 domestic flights, stranding some 15,000 travellers.

Chaba means hibiscus in Thai.

APCEDI
http://www.afap.org/apcedi/
Last edited by Cyclone Runner on Sun Aug 29, 2004 7:13 am, edited 1 time in total.
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