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Typhoon Helen (1972)
Encyclopedia
Typhoon Helen was the 20th named storm and 13th typhoon of the 1972 Pacific typhoon season
. A mid-September Category 3 typhoon, Helen caused significant damage across eastern Japan
leaving 72 people dead and $102 million (1972 USD
, $436 million 2005 USD) in damage.
and became Tropical Storm Helen on September 13.
Taking a northwesterly course along a high pressure system, Helen reached typhoon status on September 14 and veered further to the northeast because of a low pressure trough
to the west. The trough and a high pressure system over the coast of Japan
caused Helen to accelerate in forward speed on September 15. Helen reached a peak intensity of 115 mph before making landfall near Cape Kushimoto on September 16, passing between Osaka
and Nagoya before entering the Sea of Japan
twelve hours later. Helen then made a counter-clockwise loop before becoming extratropical on September 17.
Several weather stations along the coast of Japan
recorded 80 mph (129 km/h) winds with gusts reaching 113 mph (182 km/h). Helen's heavy rains disrupted air, sea, and land transport and caused flashflooding
that left 38 people dead, 158 others injured and over 70,000 homes and buildings damaged or destroyed. Helen also spawned a rare tornado
that touched down north of Tokyo
, destroying eight homes. Offshore, nine cargo ships ran aground and two fishing boats sank drowning 24 crewmen.
Helen's second landfall was in Hokkaidō
as a tropical depression on September 17. The heavy rains as high as 31 inches (787 mm) from the system caused flashfloods and landslide
s that left eight dead and two missing. Helen also generated waves that killed two people in South Korea
.
In all, Typhoon Helen left 72 dead and caused $102 million in damage (1972 USD, $436 million 2005 USD), making Helen the most destructive typhoon to strike Japan
during the 1972 season.
1972 Pacific typhoon season
The 1972 Pacific typhoon season has no official bounds; it ran year-round in 1972, but most tropical cyclones tend to form in the northwestern Pacific Ocean between June and December...
. A mid-September Category 3 typhoon, Helen caused significant damage across eastern Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
leaving 72 people dead and $102 million (1972 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....
, $436 million 2005 USD) in damage.
Meteorological history
A broad area of low pressure formed near 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...
and became Tropical Storm Helen on September 13.
Taking a northwesterly course along a high pressure system, Helen reached typhoon status on September 14 and veered further to the northeast because of a low pressure trough
Trough (meteorology)
A trough is an elongated region of relatively low atmospheric pressure, often associated with fronts.Unlike fronts, there is not a universal symbol for a trough on a weather chart. The weather charts in some countries or regions mark troughs by a line. In the United States, a trough may be marked...
to the west. The trough and a high pressure system over the coast of Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
caused Helen to accelerate in forward speed on September 15. Helen reached a peak intensity of 115 mph before making landfall near Cape Kushimoto on September 16, passing between Osaka
Osaka
is a city in the Kansai region of Japan's main island of Honshu, a designated city under the Local Autonomy Law, the capital city of Osaka Prefecture and also the biggest part of Keihanshin area, which is represented by three major cities of Japan, Kyoto, Osaka and Kobe...
and Nagoya before entering the Sea of Japan
Sea of Japan
The Sea of Japan is a marginal sea of the western Pacific Ocean, between the Asian mainland, the Japanese archipelago and Sakhalin. It is bordered by Japan, North Korea, Russia and South Korea. Like the Mediterranean Sea, it has almost no tides due to its nearly complete enclosure from the Pacific...
twelve hours later. Helen then made a counter-clockwise loop before becoming extratropical on September 17.
Impact
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
recorded 80 mph (129 km/h) winds with gusts reaching 113 mph (182 km/h). Helen's heavy rains disrupted air, sea, and land transport and caused flashflooding
Flash flood
A flash flood is a rapid flooding of geomorphic low-lying areas—washes, rivers, dry lakes and basins. It may be caused by heavy rain associated with a storm, hurricane, or tropical storm or meltwater from ice or snow flowing over ice sheets or snowfields...
that left 38 people dead, 158 others injured and over 70,000 homes and buildings damaged or destroyed. Helen also spawned a rare tornado
Tornado
A tornado is a violent, dangerous, rotating column of air that is in contact with both the surface of the earth and a cumulonimbus cloud or, in rare cases, the base of a cumulus cloud. They are often referred to as a twister or a cyclone, although the word cyclone is used in meteorology in a wider...
that touched down north of Tokyo
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
, destroying eight homes. Offshore, nine cargo ships ran aground and two fishing boats sank drowning 24 crewmen.
Helen's second landfall was in Hokkaidō
Hokkaido
, formerly known as Ezo, Yezo, Yeso, or Yesso, is Japan's second largest island; it is also the largest and northernmost of Japan's 47 prefectural-level subdivisions. The Tsugaru Strait separates Hokkaido from Honshu, although the two islands are connected by the underwater railway Seikan Tunnel...
as a tropical depression on September 17. The heavy rains as high as 31 inches (787 mm) from the system caused flashfloods and landslide
Landslide
A landslide or landslip is a geological phenomenon which includes a wide range of ground movement, such as rockfalls, deep failure of slopes and shallow debris flows, which can occur in offshore, coastal and onshore environments...
s that left eight dead and two missing. Helen also generated waves that killed two people in South Korea
South Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
.
In all, Typhoon Helen left 72 dead and caused $102 million in damage (1972 USD, $436 million 2005 USD), making Helen the most destructive typhoon to strike Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
during the 1972 season.
See also
- Other storms of the same name
