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Tropical Storm Washi
Severe Tropical Storm Washi, locally named Sendong, was a late-season tropical cyclone that caused around 1,200 to 2,500 deaths and catastrophic damage in the Philippines in late 2011. Washi made landfall over Mindanao, a major region in the Philippines, on December 16. Washi weakened slightly after passing Mindanao, but regained strength in the Sulu Sea, and made landfall again over Palawan on December 17.
On December 12, the Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC) noted that a developing area of low pressure had persisted about 945 km (585 mi) south-southeast of Guam. Situated along the southern edge of a subtropical ridge, the system tracked steadily westward towards the Philippines. Located within a region of good diffluence and moderate wind shear, deep convection was able to maintain itself over the circulation. Development of banding features and improvement of outflow indicated strengthening was likely. Further development over the following day prompted the JTWC to issue a Tropical Cyclone Formation Alert early on December 13. Less than six hours later, both the JTWC and the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) classified the system as a tropical depression, with the former assigning the identifier 27W. Maintaining a westward track, the depression was forecast to intensify slowly over the following three days. For much of December 13, a slight increase in shear displaced thunderstorm activity from the center of the depression, delaying intensification. By December 14, convection redeveloped over the low and the JTWC subsequently assessed the system to have attained tropical storm status.
Early on December 15, the system crossed west of 135°E and entered the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration's (PAGASA) area of responsibility. Upon doing so, PAGASA began issuing advisories and assigned the cyclone with the local name Sendong. Shortly thereafter, the storm passed close to or over Palau. By 0600 UTC, the JMA upgraded the system to tropical storm status, at which time they assigned it with the name Washi. Maintaining a rapid westward track, Washi slowly became more organized, with low-level inflow improving during the latter part of December 15. On December 16, Washi reached its peak strength as a severe tropical storm and made its first landfall along the east coast of Mindanao.
After passing Mindanao, Washi weakened due to land interaction, but the storm quickly regained its strength, in the Sulu Sea. Late on December 17, Washi crossed Palawan and arrived in the South China Sea, and the system moved out of the PAR on December 18. Washi weakened to a tropical depression and dissipated on December 19, because of cool, dry air, in association with the Northeast Monsoon.
Across the Cagayan de Oro river basin, a localized heavy rain event occurred during Tropical Storm Washi's passage. Onshore flow from Macajalar Bay, which the Cagayan de Oro river drains into, ran into the steep terrain of Mount Makaturing, Mount Kalatungan, and Mount Kitanglad, resulting in orographic enhancement of precipitation. A weather station in Capehan located along the Bubunawan river, a tributary of the Cagayan de Oro river, recorded 475 mm (18.7 in) over a 24‑hour span. The rainfall event itself amounted to a 1-in-20 year event for much of Misamis Oriental. In the span of 24 hours, 180.9 mm (7.12 in) of rain fell at Lumbia which equates to more than 60 percent of their average December precipitation. Estimates from the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission jointly run by NASA and JAXA indicated that accumulations around the Cagayan de Oro river exceeded 400 mm (16 in). Observations from Talakag captured the sheer intensity of rainfall associated with Washi, with hourly accumulations peaking at 60.6 mm (2.39 in). Similar amounts, though less anomalous in magnitude, fell farther east on Mindanao. Satellite estimates indicated accumulations of 200 to 250 mm (7.9 to 9.8 in) along coastal areas near where Washi made landfall. A total of 180.4 mm (7.10 in) was observed in Hinatuan.
Starting in tributaries and later reaching the main Cagayan de Oro, Iponan, and Mandulog rivers, flash flooding manifested at a dramatic pace. In some locations, flood waters rose by 3.3 m (11 ft) in less than an hour. Alongside the effects from rainfall, high tide at Macajalar Bay further enhanced the flood event and allowed water to inundate areas that would have otherwise safe at low tide. The rivers crested at 7 to 9 m (23 to 30 ft), amounting to a 75-year flood event in some areas, with catastrophic results. This was also far higher than the previous flood event following Tropical Depression Auring in January 2009. Located outside the main "typhoon belt," residents in the affected areas suffered from a false sense of security with tropical cyclone related disasters. Flooding from the rivers struck at approximately 2:30 a.m. local time, when most people were asleep and unable to hear warnings from PAGASA. Hardest hit were the cities of Cagayan de Oro and Iligan where tremendous loss of life occurred. Within Cagayan de Oro, the barangay of Balulang, Carmen and Macasandig was virtually wiped out. Between the two cities, 1,147 people lost their lives while a further 1,993 sustained injury. Residents affected by these flood waters were forced to seek refuge on their roofs amidst 90 km/h (55 mph) winds. The mayor of Iligan regarded the floods as the worst in the city's history.
Throughout the affected areas, nearly 40,000 homes were damaged of which 11,463 were destroyed. Nearly 700,000 people were affected by the storm. Total casualties attributed to the event are uncertain, with the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council's final report in February 2012 stating 1,268 fatalities, 181 people missing, and 6,071 injuries. A later report by the World Meteorological Organization in December of that year indicated 1,292 deaths, 1,049 missing, and 2,002 injured. The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies stated a total of 2,546 deaths in their final report on August 21, 2013.[better source needed] Damage directly related to the storm amounted to ₱ 2.068 billion (2012 PhP, $48.4 million USD). Over half of the damage was due to damaged roads and bridges. Total socio-economic losses amounted to US$97.8 million.
A massive relief operation involving the evacuation of 100,000 people occurred on the morning of December 17, 2011. Approximately 20,000 soldiers were mobilized to assist in recovery efforts and evacuations. The Philippine Coast Guard was dispatched to search for missing people after villages were reported to have been swept out to sea. Sixty people were rescued off the coast of El Salvador, Misamis Oriental and another 120 in the waters near Opol township. President Benigno Aquino III visited Cagayan de Oro and Iligan on December 20, 2011, and declared a state of national calamity in the affected provinces. The President also appealed to its citizens to help the victims in their way of celebrating Christmas in his Christmas Message.
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Tropical Storm Washi
Severe Tropical Storm Washi, locally named Sendong, was a late-season tropical cyclone that caused around 1,200 to 2,500 deaths and catastrophic damage in the Philippines in late 2011. Washi made landfall over Mindanao, a major region in the Philippines, on December 16. Washi weakened slightly after passing Mindanao, but regained strength in the Sulu Sea, and made landfall again over Palawan on December 17.
On December 12, the Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC) noted that a developing area of low pressure had persisted about 945 km (585 mi) south-southeast of Guam. Situated along the southern edge of a subtropical ridge, the system tracked steadily westward towards the Philippines. Located within a region of good diffluence and moderate wind shear, deep convection was able to maintain itself over the circulation. Development of banding features and improvement of outflow indicated strengthening was likely. Further development over the following day prompted the JTWC to issue a Tropical Cyclone Formation Alert early on December 13. Less than six hours later, both the JTWC and the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) classified the system as a tropical depression, with the former assigning the identifier 27W. Maintaining a westward track, the depression was forecast to intensify slowly over the following three days. For much of December 13, a slight increase in shear displaced thunderstorm activity from the center of the depression, delaying intensification. By December 14, convection redeveloped over the low and the JTWC subsequently assessed the system to have attained tropical storm status.
Early on December 15, the system crossed west of 135°E and entered the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration's (PAGASA) area of responsibility. Upon doing so, PAGASA began issuing advisories and assigned the cyclone with the local name Sendong. Shortly thereafter, the storm passed close to or over Palau. By 0600 UTC, the JMA upgraded the system to tropical storm status, at which time they assigned it with the name Washi. Maintaining a rapid westward track, Washi slowly became more organized, with low-level inflow improving during the latter part of December 15. On December 16, Washi reached its peak strength as a severe tropical storm and made its first landfall along the east coast of Mindanao.
After passing Mindanao, Washi weakened due to land interaction, but the storm quickly regained its strength, in the Sulu Sea. Late on December 17, Washi crossed Palawan and arrived in the South China Sea, and the system moved out of the PAR on December 18. Washi weakened to a tropical depression and dissipated on December 19, because of cool, dry air, in association with the Northeast Monsoon.
Across the Cagayan de Oro river basin, a localized heavy rain event occurred during Tropical Storm Washi's passage. Onshore flow from Macajalar Bay, which the Cagayan de Oro river drains into, ran into the steep terrain of Mount Makaturing, Mount Kalatungan, and Mount Kitanglad, resulting in orographic enhancement of precipitation. A weather station in Capehan located along the Bubunawan river, a tributary of the Cagayan de Oro river, recorded 475 mm (18.7 in) over a 24‑hour span. The rainfall event itself amounted to a 1-in-20 year event for much of Misamis Oriental. In the span of 24 hours, 180.9 mm (7.12 in) of rain fell at Lumbia which equates to more than 60 percent of their average December precipitation. Estimates from the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission jointly run by NASA and JAXA indicated that accumulations around the Cagayan de Oro river exceeded 400 mm (16 in). Observations from Talakag captured the sheer intensity of rainfall associated with Washi, with hourly accumulations peaking at 60.6 mm (2.39 in). Similar amounts, though less anomalous in magnitude, fell farther east on Mindanao. Satellite estimates indicated accumulations of 200 to 250 mm (7.9 to 9.8 in) along coastal areas near where Washi made landfall. A total of 180.4 mm (7.10 in) was observed in Hinatuan.
Starting in tributaries and later reaching the main Cagayan de Oro, Iponan, and Mandulog rivers, flash flooding manifested at a dramatic pace. In some locations, flood waters rose by 3.3 m (11 ft) in less than an hour. Alongside the effects from rainfall, high tide at Macajalar Bay further enhanced the flood event and allowed water to inundate areas that would have otherwise safe at low tide. The rivers crested at 7 to 9 m (23 to 30 ft), amounting to a 75-year flood event in some areas, with catastrophic results. This was also far higher than the previous flood event following Tropical Depression Auring in January 2009. Located outside the main "typhoon belt," residents in the affected areas suffered from a false sense of security with tropical cyclone related disasters. Flooding from the rivers struck at approximately 2:30 a.m. local time, when most people were asleep and unable to hear warnings from PAGASA. Hardest hit were the cities of Cagayan de Oro and Iligan where tremendous loss of life occurred. Within Cagayan de Oro, the barangay of Balulang, Carmen and Macasandig was virtually wiped out. Between the two cities, 1,147 people lost their lives while a further 1,993 sustained injury. Residents affected by these flood waters were forced to seek refuge on their roofs amidst 90 km/h (55 mph) winds. The mayor of Iligan regarded the floods as the worst in the city's history.
Throughout the affected areas, nearly 40,000 homes were damaged of which 11,463 were destroyed. Nearly 700,000 people were affected by the storm. Total casualties attributed to the event are uncertain, with the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council's final report in February 2012 stating 1,268 fatalities, 181 people missing, and 6,071 injuries. A later report by the World Meteorological Organization in December of that year indicated 1,292 deaths, 1,049 missing, and 2,002 injured. The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies stated a total of 2,546 deaths in their final report on August 21, 2013.[better source needed] Damage directly related to the storm amounted to ₱ 2.068 billion (2012 PhP, $48.4 million USD). Over half of the damage was due to damaged roads and bridges. Total socio-economic losses amounted to US$97.8 million.
A massive relief operation involving the evacuation of 100,000 people occurred on the morning of December 17, 2011. Approximately 20,000 soldiers were mobilized to assist in recovery efforts and evacuations. The Philippine Coast Guard was dispatched to search for missing people after villages were reported to have been swept out to sea. Sixty people were rescued off the coast of El Salvador, Misamis Oriental and another 120 in the waters near Opol township. President Benigno Aquino III visited Cagayan de Oro and Iligan on December 20, 2011, and declared a state of national calamity in the affected provinces. The President also appealed to its citizens to help the victims in their way of celebrating Christmas in his Christmas Message.