The 1952 Pacific typhoon season had no official bounds, but most tropical cyclones tend to form in the northwestern Pacific Ocean between June and December. These dates conventionally delimit the period of each year when most tropical cyclones form in the northwestern Pacific Ocean.
The scope of this article is limited to the Pacific Ocean, north of the equator and west of the International Date Line. Storms that form east of the date line and north of the equator are called hurricanes; see 1952 Pacific hurricane season. Tropical Storms formed in the entire west Pacific basin were assigned a name by the Fleet Weather Center on Guam.
Typhoon Charlotte formed on June 10, near the Philippines. It then strengthened and made landfall as a minimal typhoon near Hong Kong before dissipating on June 15.
Lois formed east of the Philippines on August 22. It moved northwestward, and hit Luzon as a tropical storm. As it entered the South China Sea, Lois intensified into a category 1 typhoon. It hit China and Vietnam before dissipating on August 30.
Nona formed on September 2. It hit the Philippines and China as a category 1 typhoon and hit Vietnam as a tropical strom before dissipating inland on September 8.
Tropical Storm Olive developed about 1,600mi (2,600km) southwest of Honolulu, Hawaii on September13. The next day, the system intensified into a tropical storm. Rapidly intensifying, Olive became a typhoon on September15. The next day, Olive strengthened into a Category5-equivalent cyclone on the modern-day Saffir–Simpson hurricane wind scale. Olive weakened into a Category2 typhoon before recurving northeast. On September19, the cyclone weakened further, becoming a severe tropical storm. it then transitioned into an extratropical cyclone and was last monitored on September21.[2]
Olive produced significant damage on Wake Island, where wind gusts reached 142mph (229km/h). Significant flooding was reported, and the majority of the structures were destroyed. However, few injuries were reported, and the island's facilities were restored the next year. Typhoon Olive remains one of the most intense tropical cyclones to affect the island.
Typhoon Trix formed near Micronesia on October 15, 1965, tracking southwest. It intensified rapidly, becoming a tropical storm on October 16 and a typhoon shortly after. Trix reached peak intensity as a Category 4 super typhoon with winds of 220 km/h (135 mph) and a central pressure of 965 hPa on October 20, while approaching the Philippines. Weakening slightly, Trix made landfall in the Bicol Region on October 21, traversing the central Philippines. It emerged into the South China Sea, briefly re-intensifying to Category 4 strength before weakening again. Trix made final landfall near Quảng Ngãi, Vietnam, as a tropical storm on October 25. The JMA ceased advisories inland, while the JTWC tracked its remnants into Thailand.
Trix caused catastrophic damage, killing over 1,400 people (995 in the Philippines, at least 405 in Indochina). In the Philippines, it devastated southern Luzon (especially Legazpi and Tabaco), Samar, Leyte, and the Bicol region. Winds reached 215 km/h, leveling tens of thousands of homes (30% damaged overall), destroying crops (including half of Leyte's rice), and causing widespread flooding. Damage was estimated at $60 million, leaving 500,000 homeless. Recovery efforts were hampered by communication failures and soggy airfields. In Vietnam, a tornado near Ho Chi Minh City killed 10, and a French aircraft crashed. It was called the "worst typhoon within living memory" in the Philippines.
Typhoon Vae originated as a low-pressure area in the western Philippine Sea on October 15. Initially classified as a tropical disturbance, it tracked steadily westward over the next two days, intensifying into a tropical depression by October 17 near the Philippines. Vae reached tropical storm status later that day and intensified into a Category 1 typhoon by October 20, with peak sustained winds of 75 mph (120 km/h) and a minimum central pressure of 975 hPa. The storm maintained this strength while approaching the Vietnamese coast. On October 20, Vae made landfall in southern Vietnam as a tropical storm. After landfall, Vae rapidly weakened and degenerated into a tropical depression by October 21. The remnant system continued westward across Cambodia and Thailand, emerging into the North Indian Ocean near the Andaman Sea before fully dissipating on October 24.
Typhoon Wilma was a powerful typhoon, reaching Category 5 status on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale (SSHWS). The storm formed on October 21. Over the next few days, it moved west and reached peak intensity before making landfall in the Philippines. The storm moved into the South China Sea and made landfall in Vietnam as a tropical storm, and dissipated on October 31.
Gloria formed southeast of Guam on December 16. It drifted west, slowly intensifying. The storm hit Philippines as a tropical storm. As Gloria entered the South China Sea, it rapidly intensified into a category 4 super typhoon with winds of 240 km/h. It hit Vietnam and dissipated on December 25.
Typhoon Hester formed on December 27, 1952, southeast of Majuro.[3][4] It rapidly intensified, becoming a tropical storm by December 28 and a typhoon the same day. Moving north of the Caroline Islands, Hester underwent rapid intensification, reaching Category 5 super typhoon status with winds of 185 mph (295 km/h) and a central pressure of 905 hPa by December 31, just south of the Mariana Islands.
Hester began weakening on January 1, 1953, dropping to Category 4 strength by January 2 as it curved eastward. It rapidly weakened further, becoming a tropical storm on January 4 and a depression later that day. The Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC) ceased tracking near Minami-Tori-shima, and the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) declared it extratropical on January 5 before stopping tracking northeast of Wake Island on January 6.
Preparations in Guam included opening shelters, evacuating hospitals, and closing offices/businesses. Hester's northwest quadrant passed over Enewetak Atoll on December 28, generating 70 mph winds and 30-foot waves. The island suffered significant damage: the hospital, mess halls, clubs, tents, and a Coast Guard LORAN station were destroyed or damaged. Eighteen people were injured. Hester passed 130 miles south of Guam, causing minimal damage (crops lashed, a highway section washed away, and two wave recorders destroyed) and no casualties. Ujelang Atoll experienced stronger winds.
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