Typhoon Vera
Encyclopedia
Super Typhoon Vera was the strongest typhoon to hit Japan
in recorded history. With winds of 160 mph, Vera slammed into the southeastern coast of Japan in Wakayama Prefecture and then proceeded northeast across Honshū, causing widespread damage and flooding. 5,098 people were killed in Japan with an additional 38,921 people injured. Typhoons in Japan are generally numbered each year (Typhoon Number 1, Typhoon Number 2, etc.), but because of its destructiveness, the Japan Meteorological Agency
named this typhoon the because much of the destruction was caused by flooding around Ise Bay
near the city of Nagoya.
and Chuuk
slowly organized into a tropical storm on September 21. Named Vera, it intensified into a typhoon the next day as it tracked northwestward. On the 23rd, Vera rapidly intensified, possibly reaching peak winds of 190 mph winds. (The wind speed, which was measured by reconnaissance aircraft, are subject to dispute due to the unknown conversion factors. Regardless, the super typhoon was very intense with a pressure of 896 mb.)
Unlike most super typhoons, which weaken due to upwelling or other outside factors, Vera remained very strong, slowly weakening as it continued northward. Strong divergence aloft and continued warm water temperatures allowed Vera to remain the equivalent of a Category 5 on the Saffir-Simpson hurricane scale
. On September 26, Vera struck the coast of the Kansai region of Japan
with winds of 160 mph. The storm weakened over the archipelago
while rapidly moving the northeast and re-emerged into the northern Pacific Ocean on the 27th as a minimal typhoon. It continued to the east and became extratropical on the 28th.
's worst natural disasters. Heavy storm surge combined with flooding, as well as extreme winds, caused the deaths of 4,580 people with 658 missing. Vast areas of crops were destroyed, sea walls ruined, roads and railways greatly damaged, and overflown rivers contributed to a damage estimate of $261 million (1959 USD, $1.67 billion in 2005 USD). Over 32,000 people were injured, and 1,596,855 people were left homeless. The combination of the death toll and the great number of people left homeless contributed to large outbreaks of dysentery
, gangrene
, tetanus
and other epidemics.
on the grounds that if the severity of the storm had been known in advance much more preparation could have been done. The weather radar on the summit of Mt. Fuji was completed 5 years later.
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...
in recorded history. With winds of 160 mph, Vera slammed into the southeastern coast of Japan in Wakayama Prefecture and then proceeded northeast across Honshū, causing widespread damage and flooding. 5,098 people were killed in Japan with an additional 38,921 people injured. Typhoons in Japan are generally numbered each year (Typhoon Number 1, Typhoon Number 2, etc.), but because of its destructiveness, 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...
named this typhoon the because much of the destruction was caused by flooding around Ise Bay
Ise Bay
Ise Bay is a bay located at the mouth of the Kiso River between Mie and Aichi Prefectures in Japan. Ise Bay has an average depth of 19.5 metres and a maximum depth of 30 metres toward the centre. The mouth of the bay is 9 kilometres wide and is connected to the smaller Mikawa Bay by two channels:...
near the city of Nagoya.
Meteorological history
A low pressure area between 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 Chuuk
Chuuk
Chuuk — formerly Truk, Ruk, Hogoleu, Torres, Ugulat, and Lugulus — is an island group in the south western part of the Pacific Ocean. It comprises one of the four states of the Federated States of Micronesia , along with Kosrae, Pohnpei, and Yap. Chuuk is the most populous of the FSM's...
slowly organized into a tropical storm on September 21. Named Vera, it intensified into a typhoon the next day as it tracked northwestward. On the 23rd, Vera rapidly intensified, possibly reaching peak winds of 190 mph winds. (The wind speed, which was measured by reconnaissance aircraft, are subject to dispute due to the unknown conversion factors. Regardless, the super typhoon was very intense with a pressure of 896 mb.)
Unlike most super typhoons, which weaken due to upwelling or other outside factors, Vera remained very strong, slowly weakening as it continued northward. Strong divergence aloft and continued warm water temperatures allowed Vera to remain the equivalent of a Category 5 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...
. On September 26, Vera struck the coast of the Kansai region 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...
with winds of 160 mph. The storm weakened over the archipelago
Archipelago
An archipelago , sometimes called an island group, is a chain or cluster of islands. The word archipelago is derived from the Greek ἄρχι- – arkhi- and πέλαγος – pélagos through the Italian arcipelago...
while rapidly moving the northeast and re-emerged into the northern Pacific Ocean on the 27th as a minimal typhoon. It continued to the east and became extratropical on the 28th.
Impact
Vera will likely be recorded as one of JapanJapan
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...
's worst natural disasters. Heavy storm surge combined with flooding, as well as extreme winds, caused the deaths of 4,580 people with 658 missing. Vast areas of crops were destroyed, sea walls ruined, roads and railways greatly damaged, and overflown rivers contributed to a damage estimate of $261 million (1959 USD, $1.67 billion in 2005 USD). Over 32,000 people were injured, and 1,596,855 people were left homeless. The combination of the death toll and the great number of people left homeless contributed to large outbreaks of dysentery
Dysentery
Dysentery is an inflammatory disorder of the intestine, especially of the colon, that results in severe diarrhea containing mucus and/or blood in the faeces with fever and abdominal pain. If left untreated, dysentery can be fatal.There are differences between dysentery and normal bloody diarrhoea...
, gangrene
Gangrene
Gangrene is a serious and potentially life-threatening condition that arises when a considerable mass of body tissue dies . This may occur after an injury or infection, or in people suffering from any chronic health problem affecting blood circulation. The primary cause of gangrene is reduced blood...
, tetanus
Tetanus
Tetanus is a medical condition characterized by a prolonged contraction of skeletal muscle fibers. The primary symptoms are caused by tetanospasmin, a neurotoxin produced by the Gram-positive, rod-shaped, obligate anaerobic bacterium Clostridium tetani...
and other epidemics.
Legacy
The destruction in Vera's wake was one of the larger factors leading to the construction of the Mount Fuji Radar SystemMount Fuji Radar System
The Mount Fuji Radar System is a historic weather radar system located on the summit of Mount Fuji, Japan. It was completed in 1964, and is now recorded on the list of IEEE Milestones in electrical engineering....
on the grounds that if the severity of the storm had been known in advance much more preparation could have been done. The weather radar on the summit of Mt. Fuji was completed 5 years later.
See also
- List of tropical cyclones