South Korea and Storm Surge

[Ptarmigan]

Just curious, are there any storm surge data for South Korea? I know it gets hit by typhoons. I noticed South Korea is largely surrounded by shallow water. I know there are plenty of rain data from typhoons in South Korea, some as high as 36 inches of rain in the mountains. Then there is Supertyphoon Sara which hit in 1959 as a Category 3 with winds of 115 to 120 mph. It was a Category 5 at one point with winds as high as 195 mph, which is stronger than Gilbert or Katrina.

[Aslkahuna]

Given that the lowest pressure reported by recon during the lifetime of STY Sarah was 905 mb, it's likely that the actual peak winds were more like 135kt (155mph) rather than 165 kt as shown in the ATCR for 1959. We had no satellite data then so it's hard to tell what the storm looked like. Most typhoons that hit the ROK as such do so along the southern coast with a favored track into the Tsushima Strait and passing near Pusan as Sarah did. There have been storm surges reported there but you would have to get that data from the KMA. The shallow waters you mention are actually found in the Yellow Sea which is both shallow and experiences a large tidal range (the tides at Inchon are exceeded only by the ones in the Bay of Fundy). However it is very rare for a storm to make it in there and maintain much intensity because dry air off the China mainland.

Steve

[AussieMark]

was the surge bad from Typhoon Maemi in 2003

that was the most recent intense typhoon to strike Korea