| Category 5 super typhoon (SSHS) | |
|---|---|
| Super Typhoon Bart at peak intensity | |
| Formed | September 17, 1999 |
| Dissipated | September 24, 1999 |
| Highest winds | 1-minute sustained: 260 km/h (160 mph) |
| Lowest pressure | 898 mbar (hPa; 26.52 inHg) |
| Fatalities | At least 48 direct, 3 indirect |
| Damage | $5 billion (1999 USD) |
| Areas affected | Japan |
| Part of the 1999 Pacific typhoon season | |
Super Typhoon Bart (Oniang) (JTWC designation: 24W) was a powerful and destructive typhoon of the 1999 Pacific typhoon season. It was the only super typhoon of the year. It was the costliest storm of the year, causing $5 billion dollars in damage. Tropical Depression 24W developed on September 17, to the east of Taiwan. The storm drifted to the northwest, becoming Tropical Storm Bart on September 19 and reaching typhoon strength the next day. Bart intensified further as it turned to the northeast under the influence of upper-level winds. Typhoon Bart reached its peak on September 22 with 260 km/h (160 mph) winds when it passed 75 km (47 mi) to the west of Okinawa, becoming the only Super Typhoon during 1999. Bart began to weaken slowly as it continued north towards Kyūshū, Japan, which it struck on September 23 with 185 km/h (115 mph) winds. After crossing Kyūshū and westernmost Honshū the storm accelerated to the northeast in the Sea of Japan, becoming extratropical shortly before it reached northern Hokkaidō. As Typhoon Bart formed in PAGASA's area of responsibility, it was named Oniang by PAGASA before moving to the north.
Typhoon Bart claimed at least two lives on Okinawa and brought over 710 mm (28 inches) of rain to the island. Kadena Air Base was badly damaged by the typhoon with over $5 million of damage on the base. Heavy flooding and landslides led to total of a 30 deaths and over 1,000 injuries in Japan. Over 800,000 homes lost power and 80,000 damaged in the aftermath of the storm. The worst damage was in Kumamoto Prefecture on Kyūshū, where 16 people died and over 45,000 homes were damaged. Bart affected the whole of Japan, with some minor damages occurring in Hokkaidō shortly after the storm became extratropical.[1]
A film named The Perfect Storm took place in Japan and is all about Typhoon Bart striking the Japanese coast and its severe and damaging aftermath.[2]
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Tropical Depression 24-W developed midday on September 17, to the east of Taiwan. JTWC and JMA both initiated tropical depression warnings on the developing low. The depression initially remained quasi-stationary in weak steering currents while located about 400 mi (640 km) east-northeast of northern Luzon. The development of this system was hindered somewhat due to northwest wind shear. This kept the center exposed from the deep convection. Around 1200 UTC on September 18, there were signs that the shear was beginning to lessen a bit, and by 1800 UTC, a tropical upper tropospheric trough (TUTT) was far enough west to lead to more favorable conditions for strengthening and JTWC upgraded the depression to Tropical Storm Bart early the next day.
A Tropical Rainfall Measurement Mission (TRMM) pass indicated deep convection extending northwest through southwest around the vortex with two developing low-level cloud bands to the north. Bart intensified further as it turned to the northeast under the influence of upper-level winds. By the morning hours of September 20, Bart had developed better defined banding features and a well-defined eye, the cyclone reached typhoon status. Due to the weakening of a subtropical ridge to the north, the typhoon's motion nearly stalled. Passing southwest of Okinawa, Bart became an intense typhoon on September 21.
Typhoon Bart reached its peak on September 22 with 260 km/h (160 mph) winds when it passed 75 km (47 mi) to the west of the island, becoming the only Super Typhoon during 1999. Bart began to weaken slowly as it continued north towards Kyūshū, Japan. It made landfall there with 115 mph winds. After crossing Kyūshū and westernmost Honshū the storm accelerated to the northeast in the Sea of Japan, becoming an extratropical cyclone shortly before it reached northern Hokkaidō.[3][4]
| Costliest Pacific typhoons Cost refers to total estimated property damage. |
|||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | Typhoon | Season | Damages | 2012 USD | |
| 1 | Mireille | 1991 | $10 billion | $16.1 billion | |
| 2 | Songda | 2004 | $9 billion | $10.5 billion | |
| 3 | Prapiroon | 2000 | $6 billion | $7.65 billion | |
| 4 | Bart | 1999 | $5 billion | $6.59 billion | |
| 5 | Maemi | 2003 | $4.5 billion | $5.37 billion | |
| 6 | Bilis | 2006 | $4.4 billion | $4.8 billion | |
| 7 | Rusa | 2002 | $4.2 billion | $5.13 billion | |
| 8 | Flo | 1990 | $4 billion | $6.72 billion | |
| 9 | Winnie | 1997 | $3.2 billion | $4.38 billion | |
| 10 | Saomai | 2006 | $2.51 billion | $2.74 billion | |
| Source: International Disaster Database: Disaster List | |||||
In Japan, Bart claimed at least two lives on Okinawa and brought over 710 mm (28 inches) of rain to the island. Kadena Air Base was badly damaged by the typhoon, with over $5 million of damage done to the base. Heavy flooding and landslides led to total of a 30 deaths and over 1,000 injuries in Japan. Over 800,000 homes lost power and 80,000 were damaged in the aftermath of the storm. The worst damage was in Kumamoto Prefecture on Kyūshū, where 16 people died and over 45,000 homes were damaged. Bart affected the whole of Japan, with some minor damages occurring in Hokkaidō shortly after the storm became extratropical. A large crane in Hiroshima collapsed killing 3 and injuring 4 people in the Mitsubishi plant there and the Itsukushima Shrine was also damaged. This made Typhoon Bart the costliest storm of the season, with total damages of $3.5 billion and further $5 million of damage to the Japanese economy.[5]