Typhoon Omar
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| Category 4 super typhoon (SSHS) | ||
|---|---|---|
 Typhoon Omar between Guam and Taiwan with winds of 140 mph |
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| Formed | August 24, 1992 | |
| Dissipated | September 6, 1992 | |
| Highest winds |
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| Lowest pressure | 910 mbar (hPa) | |
| Damage | $457 million (1992 USD) | |
| Fatalities | 2 direct | |
| Areas affected |
Guam, Taiwan, China | |
| Part of the 1992 Pacific typhoon season |
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Super Typhoon Omar was the 15th tropical depression (15W), the 15th named storm, and the 9th typhoon of the 1992 Pacific typhoon season. It caused 2 deaths in Taiwan and $457 million (1992 USD, $618.9 million 2005 USD) in damage.
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[edit] Storm history
After an active early part to August, the monsoon trough re-established itself to spawn an area of convection near the Marshall Islands on August 20. It tracked westward, and slowly organized into Tropical Depression 15W four days later. Another monsoon depression to 15W's west caused some vertical shear due to its large outflow, but it still managed to become Tropical Storm Omar on the night of the 24th.
The other monsoon depression, which became Tropical Storm Polly, moved far enough to the west to allow Omar to slowly strengthen. Had the shear from Polly continued, Omar might not have made it past tropical storm strength, but it held together and became a typhoon on August 27. As the cyclone neared Guam, Omar quickly intensified, and reached winds of 115 mph. On the afternoon of August 28, the typhoon crossed Guam, and continued to the west-northwest. On the following evening, the storm reached a peak intensity of 150 mph, making it the 2nd super typhoon of the season.
Shortly after its peak, Typhoon Omar slowly weakened, becoming a minimal typhoon on September 2. It turned to the west, and hit eastern Taiwan on September 4 as a 50 mph tropical storm. Omar crossed the island and the Taiwan Strait, and struck eastern China on the 5th as a 45 mph tropical storm. The system quickly weakened over land, and dissipated on September 6.
[edit] Impact
The typhoon's heavy rain flooded Guam, only to cause almost a foot of rain in some locations. In addition, an astronomical high tide occurred, further increasing the damage. 2,158 homes were destroyed, leaving nearly 3,000 people homeless. The storm caused $457 million (1992 USD, $618.9 million 2005 USD) in damage there, but miraculously, there were no deaths. There were 200 typhoon-related injuries, however. Well-organized task forces cleaned and repaired the island, and Guam was back to normal within weeks.
Omar's passage in Taiwan led to torrential rains, though not as severe in Guam. Two people were killed from the flooding, with 12 injuries and major power outages being experienced. Damage totals are not available.
[edit] Retirement
Due to the destruction in Guam, the name Omar was retired and was replaced with Oscar.
