| Severe tropical storm (JMA) | |
|---|---|
| Category 1 typhoon (SSHS) | |
| Satellite photo of Severe Tropical Storm Nock-ten on 27 July 2011 near the Philippines | |
| Formed | 24 July 2011 |
| Dissipated | 31 July 2011 |
| Highest winds | 10-minute sustained: 95 km/h (60 mph) 1-minute sustained: 120 km/h (75 mph) |
| Lowest pressure | 985 mbar (hPa; 29.09 inHg) |
| Fatalities | 128 dead; 10 missing |
| Damage | $126.3 million (2011 USD) |
| Areas affected | Philippines, South Central China, Vietnam, Laos, Thailand |
| Part of the 2011 Pacific typhoon season | |
Severe Tropical Storm Nock-ten (international designation: 1108, JTWC designation: 10W, PAGASA Name: Juaning) was a powerful tropical storm which made a total of three landfalls in Southeast Asia wreaking havoc, killing more than 100 people and causing damage worth US$126 million. It was the eighth named storm and the fourth severe tropical storm of the 2011 Pacific typhoon season. Unlike Conson in 2010, Nock-ten was well-forecast in the Philippines and residents of affected areas were informed about the storm. Manila, the capital, which was in the direct path of the storm, prepared for heavy rains and shut down all schools across the city.[1]
The depression formed on July 24 before becoming one of the deadliest tropical storms on the year. It gradually strengthened and reached a peak intensity of 65 knots (120 km/h; 75 mph) on the SSHS. At that time, the system was located just to the east of Philippines, where the impact from the system could be already seen. The system smashed into the nation, wreaking havoc. The storm killed 75, leaving 9 missing, and causing damage worth US$65.73 million. The storm exited land and started strengthening again as it moved into the South China Sea. Then, the system turned towards China's Island province of Hainan where a yellow alert was issued and heavy to very heavy rainfall was predicted. Fourteen flights from Hainan's provincial capital Haikou were cancelled and rail ferry service to Mainland China was also suspended. Some 27,700 people were evacuated from Hainan's low lying area. Nock-ten claimed 2 lives and caused widespread damage worth US$58 million in Hainan. The system exited land and started strengthening again, as it curved towards the Vietnam. On approaching land, the system and its remnants also affected the Laos and Thailand. There, the storm pored extremely heavy rainfall flooding the Yom River and the Nan River. 650,000 people were evacuated from low-lying areas as some 6,200 acres of rice and other crop fields were reported to be completely submerged by the rain waters. The damage figures were expected to be at US$ $2.33 million and the death toll was put at 42.
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Early on 22 July, an area of low pressure formed to the east of Philippines.[2] The system gradually drifted west over the next few days and late on 24 July, the Joint Typhoon Warning Center Started Monitoring the system as a Tropical Depression.[3] Early the next day, the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) upgraded the area of low pressure into a Tropical Depression.[4] A few hours later, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) started monitoring the system as a Tropical Depression and named it 'Juaning'.[5] The system continued to drift westwards and strengthened rapidly. On midnight that day, the JMA further upgraded the system into a Tropical Storm, naming it Nock-Ten,[6] an anglicization of the Lao language nok ten, ນົກເຕັນ,[1], meaning 'kingfisher',[2].
Early on 27 July, the JMA reported that Nock-ten continued to strengthen and upgraded it to a Severe Tropical Storm.[7] A few hours later, the JTWC reported that Nock-ten rapidly intensified to a category 1 typhoon and made its landfall over northern Aurora (province) while developing a eye and started weakening.Nock [8] Later the same day, the JMA reported that Nock-ten has exited the Luzon island at Candon maintaining severe tropical storm strength.[9] However, overnight, the storm rapidly weakened and the JMA downgraded it into a minor tropical storm the next day.[10] On 29 July, the storm gradually regained strength and approached south China coast at Qionghai, China.[11] Later that day, the storm strengthened over land and headed north towards Hainan's provincial capital region Haikou.[12] The storm weakened rapidly and at midnight that day, the JMA, issuing their final warning on the system, downgrading it into a tropical low.[13]
| Region | Fatalities | Missing | Damage (US$) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Philippines | 75 | 9 | 65.73 million |
| China | 2 | 0 | 58 million |
| Vietnam and Laos |
20 | 0 | 199,563 |
| Thailand | 31 | 1 | 2.33 million |
| Total | 128 | 10 | 126.3 million+ |
The provinces of Albay, Camarines Norte and Camarines Sur were reported to be completely flooded by rain.[14] Minor damage to rice crops was reported. Heavier rains were expected throughout the day as the system exited land into the South China Sea and reintensified.[15] The number of missing was raised to 31 after 25 crewmembers of a fishing boat were reported missing when their boat was caught in the storm off Masbate.[16] All classes in Luzon from Pre-school to college levels on 26 and 27 July were suspended.[17] In Northern Luzon, Nock-ten's heavy rainfall caused widespread flooding in the area. The national roads were impassable and landslides were reported.[18] About 26 domestic flights were cancelled from 26 to 27 July due to heavy rains and strong winds.[19] The death toll is now upgraded to 27 and more than 60 people are now listed as missing. The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council began rescuing stranded people and searching for fishermen who were lost in the storm.[20] On 28 July, the death toll was put at 35 as two government mines bureau staffers and the two police officers with them were recovered from flood waters and landslides in Luzon.[21] By that time, the storm displaced a total of 728,554 people from several Philippine provinces in Luzon within the Ilocos Region, Central Luzon and Bicol Region.[22] Later that day, the government accused the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) for issuing inaccurate weather forecasts about the tropical storm.[23]
On 29 July, the Philippine death toll was put up to 41 as more bodies were recovered from the flooded areas in Luzon.[24] The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) announced the total damage caused by the storm to Philippines was US$26,896,788..[25] Among the dead was the mother of Joey Salceda, the governor of Albay province. She died on Wednesday of head trauma after slipping on the stairs during a power outage caused by the tropical storm.[26] On 30 July, the death toll was again increased to 50. The NDRRMC also upgraded the total damage to infrastructure and agriculture to US$34,809,609.08.[27] Most of the dead were drowned, hit by fallen tree or electric posts, or were buried in landslides. The majority of those affected are from the worst hit Bicol region.[28] Many communities in the Bicol region were in need of potable water, electricity and work crews to clear all the debris and mangled up roads.[29] on August 2, the NDRRMC, again increased the philippine death toll to 66 and the total damage to infrastructure and agriculture to US$41,811,413.49.[30] Two days later, a survey by NDCC showed that school buildings were the worst hit in the entire nation. Damage to the school buildings alone was reported to be at a staggering US$13,794,381, and the total damage to Agriculture, Infrastructure and Schools was put at US$65,730,769.69. The number of dead was also upgraded to 69 and the number of missing was downgraded to 14.[31] On August 5, the Philippine death toll was re-upgraded to 75, and the number of missing was downgraded to 9. According to the NDRRMC, the Philippine government has spent a total of US$ 650,653.10 in assisting the victims of the storm.[32]
On 25 July, Hong Kong issued Signal No. 1 for Hong Kong. On 28 July, the residents of western Guangdong started preparing for the storm when China's flood control authority launched an emergency response.[33] The storm was originally expected to brush the South China coast by 29 July, However it gradually slowed down.[34] As the system neared the Chinese coasts, China's meteorological authority issued a yellow alert and was predicting heavy to very heavy rainfall in parts of the Sichuan Basin. The provinces of Guangdong, Guangxi and Hainan were also strictly alerted about the storm.[35] On 29 July, some 36,000 sea vessels carrying more than 120,000 labourers on board were warned about the severe storm over the south china sea.[36] With that, some 26,000 fishing boats China's Hainan Province have returned to port.[37]
As the storm approached coast, later that day, 14 flights from Hainan's provincial capital Haikou were cancelled. The rail ferry service to Mainland China was also suspended because of the storm's fury.[38] The storm was originally expected to turn west after landfall over Hainan. However, the storm headed north and hit Hainan's provincial capital Haikou.[12] As a result, some 27,700 people were evacuated from Hainan's low lying area and some 2,602 fishing ships have returned to ports. Heavy rain and strong winds have halted all shipping services across the Qiongzhou Strait.[39] Later the next day, China's flood control authorities have reported to have evacuated a total of 189,033 to safe areas in the southern island province of Hainan.[40] On 31 July, the China's provincial flood control office reported that, in total, Nock-ten claimed 2 lives and caused widespread damage worth US$58 million in Hainan province.[41]
As the storm neared land, a Vietnamese boat carrying 12 fishermen was capsized and drifted towards Palawan, near the Philippines. A few hours later, all the 12 fishermen were rescued and safeguarded.[42] The Thai Meteorological Department issued warnings for Phuket and much of Thailand as the storm neared land. Strong winds and heavy rain were predicted to affect the Andaman Sea.[43] As a result, the people of Thailand’s northern provinces started preparing for possible floods and strong wind. The Yom River and the Nan River were reported to be almost overflowing damaging some rice paddy fields and farmland.[44] About 650,000 people were evacuated from low-lying areas in the Tonkin Gulf region in preparation for the storm.[45] On 30 July, just before the storms's final landfall, the storm already started claiming lives in Vietnam, with one man killed by the oceanic waves. As a result, Meteorological officials repeated their warning that small boats should not put to sea.[46] Later that day, some 6 flights of Vietnam Airlines were cancelled and many more were delayed because of the storm.[47] Over the next day, after the storms final landfall, some 6,200 acres of rice and other crop fields were reported to be completely submerged by the rain waters.[48] The storm's consequences were described as "not considerable" as the storm was weaker than expected and did not cause much damage.[49]
On 31 July, the Vietnamese death toll was upgraded to three, as another man was killed by electric shock when lightning stroke the electric pole and a 13 year old child died drowning.[50][51] The storm damaged at least four fishing vessels, sinking one from Quang Ngai Province near Spratly Islands.[52] The north and northeastern provinces of Thailand were reported to be completely flooded and some townships were said to be under a staggering 80 centimetres of water.[53] As a result, two people were reported to have gone missing in the flood waters.[54] Flooding occurred in many northern and central provinces. Heavy rainfall inundated low lying areas of the Khammuan and Borikhamxay. 25 villages and 15 schools remained underwater, even two days after the storm.[55] Thailand tourism was luckily not very much affected by the system though most of the places in the North were completely flooded, leaving several hotels filled with water. [56] On August 5, the Thai death toll was put at 7 sending the total death toll of Nock-ten to 81. At least 4 people are reported to have gone missing in the storm.[57] Soon afterwards, the death toll was re-upgraded to 13 while the number of missing was downgraded to 1 as more bodies were found in the flood waters associated with Nock-ten. damage figures were expected to be at US$ $2.33 million.[58] On the next day, the thai death toll was further upgraded to 20 by the Department of Disaster Mitigation and Protection. It was reported that some 20 provinces were submerged by the system, out of which 16 provinces including northern Chiangmai, Phare, Lumpoon, Lumpang, Mae Hongsorn and Uttaradit provinces and northeastern Udon Thani, Bungkarn, and Sakon Nakorn provinces and central Petchaboon, Nakorn Sawan, Sukhothai, Pijit, Pitchsanulok and Nakorn Phanom were still in water.[59]
On August 11, 10 days after the storm dissipated, several regions in Thailand were still underwater after flooding associated with the storm. The storm was reported to have affected a total of at least 1,371,137 people and killed 22 throughout the country. The floodwaters were still affecting 411,585 people in the provinces of Phrae, Sukhothai, Uttaradit, Phichit, Phitsanulok, Tak, Nakhon Sawan, Ayutthaya and Mukdahan.[60] Several days later, the death toll still continued to rise as the floods continued to affect several provinces of the Nation.[61]
In Vietnam, the storm damaged nearly 2,450,385 acres of farmland and affected some 1.1 million people, killing 20 in flooding associated with the storm. A 1111 hotline was opened to receive complaints about floods and collect food donations.[62] The total damage to the Laos was estimated to be at 16 billion Kip or US$ 199,563.[63]
The name that PAGASA gave to Nock-ten, Juaning, was retired following this storm because of the damage. The replacement name has yet to be chosen.
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