| Typhoon (JMA) | |
|---|---|
| Category 2 Typhoon (SSHS) | |
| Category 1 Typhoon Chan-hom approaching Philippines on May 6 | |
| Formed | May 2, 2009 |
| Dissipated | May 13, 2009 |
| Highest winds | 10-minute sustained: 120 km/h (75 mph) 1-minute sustained: 155 km/h (100 mph) |
| Lowest pressure | 975 mbar (hPa; 28.79 inHg) |
| Fatalities | 55 direct, 5 indirect, 13 missing |
| Damage | At least $26.1 million (2009 USD) |
| Areas affected | Vietnam, Philippines |
| Part of the 2009 Pacific typhoon season | |
Typhoon Chan-hom (International designation: 0902, JTWC designation: 02W, PAGASA name: Emong) is the sixth tropical depression or the second tropical storm to develop during the 2009 Pacific typhoon season. Chan-hom developed out of an area of convectional cloudiness associated with an area of disturbed weather which originated from the remnants of Tropical Depression Crising and formed southeast of Nha Trang, Vietnam on May 2. Moving towards the northeast, it slowly organized according to JTWC who issued a TCFA, and JMA classified Chan-hom as a minor tropical depression later that day. The next day, both JTWC and JMA upgraded the depression to a tropical storm and named it Chan-hom. On May 6, the storm intensified into a Category 1 typhoon, and on May 7, Chan-hom intensified into a Category 2 typhoon equivalent. However, Chan-hom weakened into a severe tropical storm after passing northern Luzon. On May 14, Chan-hom regenerated into a Tropical Depression and dissipated late on May 15. The name was submitted by Laos and means a kind of tree.
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Early on May 2, the Joint Typhoon Warning Center reported that an area of deep convection had persisted in a monsoon trough about 300 km (200 mi) to the southeast of Nha Trang, Vietnam.[1] As an anticyclone was located to the east of the system, deep convection had begun to wrap into the north and western edges of the disturbance's exposed low level circulation center which was located in an area of low vertical wind shear.[1] Later that day as the disturbances low level circulation center moved under the deep convection and became more organized; the JMA designated it as a tropical depression whilst the JTWC issued a Tropical Cyclone Formation Alert.[2][3] During the next day the JMA reported that the depression had intensified into a Tropical Storm and named it as Chan-hom whilst the JTWC initiated advisories and designated Tropical Storm Chan-hom as Tropical Depression 02W as the system had slowly deepened further.[3][4]
As Chan-hom formed in the South China Sea Vietnamese officials warned 17,793 vessels, with a total of 83,032 fishermen on board the ships, to avoid areas near the tropical storm. Fourteen provinces along the country's coastline were warned by the coast guard about the storm by May 5. All ships that were already at port were prohibited from leaving shore due to high seas up to 7 m (23 ft).[5]
PAGASA warned residents living in low-lying areas and near mountain slopes to take all the necessary precautions against possible flashfloods and landslides. Also, President Arroyo has instructed the National Disaster Coordinating Council (NDCC) to provide the public hourly updates on the entry of typhoon Emong. The Pangasinan Disaster Coordinating Council issued advisories on Pangasinan to be ready for Chan-hom as the storm is continuously moving in the province. PAGASA also warned those living under warning signal no. 2 and 3 to be alert for possible landslides, flashfloods and storm surge. These storm signals remained mostly in force over Northern and Central Luzon, where PAGASA forecasted Emong would make landfall, on May 7.
As of May 7, no known structural impact was caused by Chan-hom in Vietnam.[6] A fishing boat from Ly Son Island, Quang Ngai was capsized near the Paracel Islands, all 11 fishermen were rescued by Chinese Navy.[7]
A 48 hour rainfall was recorded throughout Luzon from May 6 to 8 peaking on May 7. Winds of 85–140 km/h combined with heavy rain damaged the provinces of Abra, Quirino, Cagayan, Apayao, Ilocos Norte, Aurora (further, these provinces received more than 200mm in 24 hours.) and Zambales (received more than 135 mm in 24 hours). Rain was also heavy over Pampanga (receiving 145 mm), Nueva Ecija, Tarlac, Bulacan, Bataan, Metro Manila and parts of southern Luzon. Moderate rain was also experienced over Quezon province and Bicol Region. (Cagayan and Isabela are not specified but are also flooded which can mean it may have experienced more than 50 mm of rain. Moreover, Cagayan River flooded). As of May 10, about 65,000 thousand people were left homeless in Ilocos Region and in Cordillera region.
In Bataan, the flood was up to the waistline. Some residents were also evacuated. As of May 8, at least 25 people were confirmed to have been killed by flooding and mudslides produced by Emong.[8] Chan-hom further affected 4,000 people, caused 11 landslides, cost PHP863,528 worth of crops in 55 hectares of land in Zambales and PHP4.4 million worth of transmission lines in Pangasinan.[9]
On May 9, the number of fatalities increased to 26. Western Pangasinan was put under a state of calamity, with the whole province registering at least 16 deaths. Deaths included those who drowned, buried under their collapsed homes and got hit by flying debris. In the town of Anda in Pangasinan, "90 percent" of houses got their roofs blown away, with mango trees uprooted and cultured fishes washed away to the sea. In Ifugao, at least 10 deaths were blamed on landslides, while the bridges linking Lamut and Bagabag, Nueva Vizcaya collapsed. In Isabela, "all work animals" in San Mateo drowned when the town river overflowed.[10]
The National Disaster Coordinating Council (NDCC) damage report update on 6:00 pm May 19 put dead at 60, injured at 53 and missing at 13 and damage worth 1,280,897,383 pesos of which 750,403,562 were in agriculture and 530,493,821 in infrastructure. It further affected 385,833 persons living in 615 barangays of 59 municipalities and 7 cities of 12 provinces of Region I (La Union and Pangasinan), Region II (Nueva Vizcaya, Isabela, Quirino and Cagayan), Region III (Zambales and Pampanga) and Cordillera Administrative Region (Ifugao, Kalinga, Mountain Province and Benguet) as well as damaged 56,160 houses of which 23,444 are totally destroyed and 32,716 partially damaged[11], and induced 11 landslides in Zambales and Ifugao.[12]
Emong (Chan-hom) directly passed through these provinces: Pangasinan, La Union, Ilocos Sur, Benguet, Nueva Vizcaya, Ifugao, Mountain Province, Kalinga and Isabela.
As of May 10, roughly 2.3 million Philippine pesos (US$48,000) in relief expenses have been used. The National Disaster Coordinating Council (NDCC) supplied 1,250 sacks of rice to the affected areas. The Department of Social Welfare and Development reported that PHP 2.7 million (US$57,000) worth of relief supplies was stockpiled and ready for distribution. The Armed Forces of the Philippines deployed several teams to assist with recovery efforts and debris removal. On May 8, two UH-1 Iroquois helicopters were provided to conduct arial surveys of the damage Isabela, Ifugao and Aurora Provinces.[13]