Meteorological history | |
---|---|
Duration | August 15–31,2007 |
Overall effects | |
Fatalities | 600 dead,thousands injured [1] |
Damage | $22.5 million |
Areas affected | Most within the southern half of the country |
Flooding in North Korea in August 2007 caused extensive damage and loss of life. The flooding affected most of the southern half of the country including the capital and some of its most productive agricultural regions. Aid officials feared the loss of crop land could seriously hinder the North's ability to feed its people,causing widespread famine.
On August 15,2007,North Korea announced it had been hit extremely hard by floods after a solid week of torrential rains,and that it desperately needed assistance from the outside world. The previous year,the country also experienced massive flooding when torrential rains in July left hundreds if not thousands dead. The difference is this time Pyongyang reacted quickly to the disaster,requesting help while the waters were still high,rather than keeping silent as long as possible,as it has done in the past.
Television footage from North Korea showed citizens in Pyongyang wading in knee- and waist-deep waters along the capital's grand boulevards. Government officials invited foreign diplomats in Pyongyang to venture out to the countryside to view first-hand the devastation wrought by the relentless rains. [2]
On August 27,North Korea said it had suspended its yearly showcase Arirang mass games. The performance resumed after the flood damage was cleared away. [3]
By August 31,North Korea reported recovering from devastating floods thanks to vigorous work by its citizens and officials. Railway services had resumed with many sections of broken track restored. Telecommunications workers were reported restoring destroyed or submerged electrical cables. Yet,the dispatch made no mention of foreign assistance. [4] The country's leader Kim Jong-Il thanked the leaders of 11 countries on September 11 for their help in flood relief,except South Korea even though they sent 37.4 billion won (39.8 million dollars) of relief aid. [5]
The flooding submerged,buried or washed away more than 11 percent of the country's rice and corn fields. [6] The North is especially susceptible to bad weather because of a vicious circle where people strip hillsides of natural vegetation to create more arable land to grow food —increasing the risk of floods. [7] On August 16,2007,Paul Lysley,spokesperson for the WFP Asia,has estimated the damage to crops alone at 450,000 tons. [8]
The United Nations' Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs reported some 223,381 hectares of farmland were damaged,with about 20 percent of North Korea's paddy fields and 15 percent of its corn fields flooded or washed away. [9]
On August 17,2007,Seoul,South Korea decided to provide $7.5 million in flood relief to North Korea. Initial aid shipments included noodles,drinking water,powdered milk,blankets and medicines.[ citation needed ] On August 23,2007,a convoy of 34 trucks carrying emergency food rations,water and other goods left South Korea for the North. Seoul has pledged to provide 7.1 billion won ($7.6 million) in aid. [10]
NGOs such as the Red Cross also asked people to raise funds because they feared a humanitarian catastrophe. [11]
On August 29,Japan considered sending humanitarian aid to North Korea to help it recover from devastating floods. Sending aid would be a reversal for Japan,which has previously linked aid to resolving a row over North Korea's abduction of Japanese citizens. Japan has not sent any humanitarian aid to North Korea since late 2004,in protest at a lack of progress over Japanese nationals kidnapped by Pyongyang in the late 1970s and early 1980s. [12]
The United Nations requested US$14 million to provide North Korea with food,medicine,drinking water and other emergency goods. The United States pledged at least US$100,000 for the U.N. [13]
South Korea is located in East Asia,on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula located out from the far east of the Asian landmass. The only country with a land border to South Korea is North Korea,lying to the north with 238 kilometres (148 mi) of the border running along the Korean Demilitarized Zone. South Korea is mostly surrounded by water and has 2,413 kilometres (1,499 mi) of coast line along three seas;to the west is the Yellow Sea,to the south is the East China Sea,and to the east is the Sea of Japan. Geographically,South Korea's landmass is approximately 100,032 square kilometres (38,623 sq mi). 290 square kilometres (110 sq mi) of South Korea are occupied by water. The approximate coordinates are 37°North,128°East.
Hurricane Michelle was the fifth costliest tropical cyclone in Cuban history and the strongest hurricane of the 2001 Atlantic hurricane season. The thirteenth named storm and seventh hurricane that year,Michelle developed from a tropical wave that had traversed into the western Caribbean Sea on October 29;the wave had initially moved off the coast of Africa 13 days prior. In its early developmental stages,the depression meandered over Nicaragua,later paralleling the Mosquito Coast before intensifying into tropical storm intensity on November 1;Michelle was upgraded to hurricane strength the following day. Shortly after,rapid intensification ensued within favorable conditions,with the storm's central barometric pressure dropping 51 mbar in 29 hours. After a slight fluctuation in strength,Michelle reached its peak intensity as a Category 4 hurricane with winds of 140 mph (230 km/h) and a minimum pressure of 933 mbar. This tied Michelle with 1999's Lenny as the fourth most powerful November hurricane on record in the Atlantic Basin,behind only the 1932 Cuba hurricane and 2020 Hurricanes Iota and Eta. At roughly the same time,the hurricane began to accelerate northeastward;this brought the intense hurricane to a Cuban landfall within the Bay of Pigs later that day. Crossing over the island,Michelle was weakened significantly,and was only a Category 1 hurricane upon reentry into the Atlantic Ocean. The hurricane later transitioned into an extratropical cyclone over The Bahamas on November 5,before being absorbed by a cold front the following day.
Typhoon Rusa was the most powerful typhoon to strike South Korea in 43 years. It was the 21st JTWC tropical depression,the 15th named storm,and the 10th typhoon of the 2002 Pacific typhoon season. It developed on August 22 from the monsoon trough in the northwestern Pacific Ocean,well to the southeast of Japan. For several days,Rusa moved to the northwest,eventually intensifying into a powerful typhoon. On August 26,the storm moved across the Amami Islands of Japan,where Rusa left 20,000 people without power and caused two fatalities. Across Japan,the typhoon dropped torrential rainfall peaking at 902 mm (35.5 in) in Tokushima Prefecture.
Typhoon Chataan,known in the Philippines as Typhoon Gloria,was the deadliest natural disaster in the history of Chuuk,a state in the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM). The typhoon formed on June 28,2002,near the FSM,and for several days it meandered while producing heavy rainfall across the region. On Chuuk,the highest 24-hour precipitation total was 506 mm (19.9 in),which was greater than the average monthly total. The rain produced floods up to 1.5 m (4.9 ft) deep,causing landslides across the island that killed 47 people. There was also one death on nearby Pohnpei,and damage in the FSM totaled over $100 million.
Typhoon Maemi or,known in the Philippines as Typhoon Pogi,was the most powerful typhoon to strike South Korea since record-keeping began in the country in 1904. Maemi formed on September 4,2003 from a disturbance in a monsoon trough in the western Pacific Ocean. It slowly intensified into Tropical Storm Maemi while moving northwestward,becoming a typhoon on September 8. That day,favorable conditions facilitated more rapid strengthening;the storm developed a well-defined eye and reached peak maximum sustained winds of 195 km/h (121 mph). While near peak intensity,Maemi decelerated and began turning to the north-northeast. Soon after,the eyewall passed over the Japanese island of Miyako-jima on September 10 and produced an air pressure reading of 912 mbar (26.9 inHg),the fourth-lowest recorded in the nation. Due to warm waters,Maemi was able to maintain much of its intensity before it made landfall just west of Busan,South Korea,on September 12. The typhoon became extratropical in the Sea of Japan the next day,although its remnants persisted for several days,lashing northern Japan with strong winds.
The North Korean famine,also known as the Arduous March or the March of Suffering,was a period of mass starvation together with a general economic crisis from 1994 to 1998 in North Korea. During this time there was an increase in defection from North Korea which peaked towards the end of the famine period.
Typhoon Xangsane,known in the Philippines as Typhoon Milenyo,was a typhoon that affected the Philippines,Vietnam,and Thailand during the 2006 Pacific typhoon season. The name Xangsane was submitted by Laos and means elephant.
In October 1999,severe flooding affected portions of eastern Mexico and Central America. Rainfall in September preceded the primary event in Mexico,which moistened soils. On October 4,Tropical Depression Eleven developed in the Gulf of Mexico,which drew humidity from the gulf and the Pacific Ocean to produce torrential rainfall in mountainous regions of eastern Mexico,reaching 43.23 in (1,098 mm) in Jalacingo,Veracruz. This was the third-highest tropical cyclone-related rainfall total in Mexico from 1980–2006,and the event caused the highest rainfall related to tropical cyclones in Veracruz,Hidalgo,and Puebla. In some locations,the daily rainfall represented over 10% of the annual precipitation total. The heaviest rainfall occurred in mountainous regions that were the mouths of several rivers. A broad trough absorbed the depression on October 6,and rainfall continued for the next few days. Additional rainfall occurred in Tabasco state on October 18. The floods were estimated as a 1 in 67 year event in one location,although such floods are expected to affect eastern Mexico twice per century,the last time being 1944.
The October 2008 Central America floods were caused by a series of low-pressure areas including Tropical Depression Sixteen,a short-lived tropical cyclone in the 2008 Atlantic hurricane season that made landfall in Honduras. Heavy rainfall began in early October 2008 while a tropical wave passed through the region. On October 14,Tropical Depression Sixteen formed just off the northeast coast of Honduras,and at the same time a low-pressure system was on the Pacific coast. Both systems increased rainfall across the region,although the depression dropped heavy rainfall close to its center when it moved ashore on October 15. Although Tropical Depression Sixteen quickly dissipated over land,its remnants persisted for several days. Another low-pressure area interacted with a cold front on October 21,adding to the rainfall in the region.
Typhoon Wipha,known in the Philippines as Super Typhoon Goring,was the strongest typhoon to threaten the Chinese coastline since Typhoon Saomai in August 2006. Forming out of a tropical disturbance on September 15,2007,it quickly developed into a tropical storm,and intensified into a typhoon the following day with the appearance of an eye feature. After a period of rapid intensification,Wipha attained its peak intensity on September 18,with winds of 185 km/h (115 mph) and a barometric pressure of 925 mbar (hPa),according to the Japan Meteorological Agency. Later that day,the storm began to weaken as it interacted with the mountainous terrain of Taiwan before brushing the northern edge of the island. Wipha subsequently made landfall near Fuding along the Fujian–Zhejiang provincial border with winds estimated at 185 km/h (115 mph) by the JTWC. Shortly thereafter,the typhoon weakened as it moved inland,weakening to a tropical storm within 18 hours of moving over land.
The effects of Hurricane Georges in Cuba included $305.8 million in damages and six deaths. Forming out of a tropical wave over the Atlantic Ocean,Georges attained a peak intensity of 155 mph (249 km/h) on September 20,1998. On September 23,the storm made landfall in southeastern Cuba as a minimal Category 1 hurricane. The storm tracked over the county for the following two days before emerging into the Gulf of Mexico on September 25 and later making landfall in the United States as a Category 2 hurricane. Before the storm's landfall in Cuba,officials reported that 200,000 people were evacuated to shelters;however,later reports indicated that upwards 711,000 people evacuated. A state of emergency was declared for much of eastern Cuba and most of the country was placed under a tropical storm or hurricane warning during the storm's passage.
The 2012 North Korean floods began in mid-July 2012 when Tropical Storm Khanun affected parts of the country,killing at least 88 people and leaving more than 62,000 people homeless. Torrential rains on 29 and 30 July 2012 worsened the situation,causing additional damage and casualties and forcing the government to request international assistance. Severe rainfall also affected the southern region of North Korea in August,killing at least six.
Severe Tropical Storm Cecil in May of 1989 caused devastating floods in central Vietnam,killing 751 people. The storm developed as a tropical depression over the South China Sea on May 22. Tracking north-northwestward,the system steadily intensified,attaining peak winds of 110 km/h (68 mph). The Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC) assessed Cecil to have been slightly stronger with one-minute sustained winds of 140 km/h (87 mph). The storm made landfall near Hoi An,Vietnam early on May 25 and quickly weakened. The system later dissipated over Laos on May 26.
In May 2003,a tropical cyclone officially called Very Severe Cyclonic Storm BOB 01 produced the worst flooding in Sri Lanka in 56 years. The first storm of the 2003 North Indian Ocean cyclone season,it developed over the Bay of Bengal on May 10. Favorable environmental conditions allowed the system to intensify steadily while moving northwestward. The storm reached peak maximum sustained winds of 140 km/h (85 mph) on May 13,making it a very severe cyclonic storm according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD),which is the official Regional Specialized Meteorological Center for the basin. The cyclone drifted north over the central Bay of Bengal,gradually weakening due to heightened wind shear. Turning eastward,the storm deteriorated to a deep depression on May 16 before it curved northeastward and re-intensified into a cyclonic storm. It came ashore in western Myanmar and dissipated over land the following day.
The Red Cross Society of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea is the national Red Cross Society of North Korea. It was founded as the Red Cross Society of North Korea on 18 October 1946 by the Soviet-backed occupational government.
Cyclonic Storm Komen was an unusual tropical cyclone that originated near the southern coast of Bangladesh and later struck the same country while drifting over the northern Bay of Bengal. The second named storm of the 2015 season,Komen brought several days of heavy rainfall to Myanmar,Bangladesh,and India. It formed as a depression on July 26 over the Ganges delta and moved in a circular motion around the northern Bay of Bengal. Komen intensified into a 75 km/h (45 mph) cyclonic storm and moved ashore southeastern Bangladesh on July 30. The system turned westward over land and was last noted over eastern India on August 2.
Typhoon Lionrock,known in the Philippines as Typhoon Dindo,was a large,powerful,long-lived and erratic tropical cyclone which caused significant flooding and casualties in North Korea and Japan in late August 2016. It was the tenth named storm and was the third typhoon of the 2016 Pacific typhoon season. Damages recorded after the season were recorded about US$3.93 billion.
The 2016 North Korean floods began in late-August 2016 as a consequence of Typhoon Lionrock,killing at least 525 people,destroying more than 35,000 homes,and leaving over 100,000 people homeless,mainly in the North Hamgyong Province. The floods occurred when the Tumen River,near the borders with China and Russia,broke its banks,according to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs and Red Cross.
In September 2020,profuse and continuous rainfall in Sudan caused a devastating flood across 17 out of the 18 states Sudanese states with the Blue Nile reaching water levels not seen for nearly a century. It ranks among the most severe floods recorded in the region. A state of emergency was declared,and teams have worked to prevent damage to threatened archaeological sites. The flood affected more than 3,000,000 people,destroyed more than 100,000 homes,and left more than 100 people dead.
Korea has historically suffered several floods due to heavy rains,typhoons,and heavy snowfalls. Most of the flood damage was caused by storms and tsunamis caused by typhoons,and floods.