Typhoon Parma
Encyclopedia
Typhoon Parma was the second typhoon to affect the Philippines within the span of a week during September 2009.

Typhoon Parma is assigned as Typhoon Pepeng by PAGASA when it entered the Philippine Area of Responsibility days after Typhoon Ketsana wreaked havoc on the country. Parma spared the capital and instead lashed the northern part of Luzon island.

Parma added to the damage caused by the earlier Typhoon Ketsana, affecting thousands of families on the north, especially on Pangasinan province where the San Roque Dam inadvertently released water to prevent its breach. However on the first week of October, Parma interacted with the incoming Typhoon Melor on the Pacific (via a Fujiwhara interaction), rendering it stationary as it made landfall on Southern Taiwan. Days later, the greatly weakened Parma retreated back to Luzon making further landfalls on Ilocos Norte
Ilocos Norte
Ilocos Norte is a province of the Philippines located in the Ilocos Region in Luzon. Its capital is Laoag City and is located at the northwest corner of Luzon Island, bordering Cagayan and Apayao to the east, and Abra and Ilocos Sur to the south...

 and Cagayan
Cagayan
Cagayan , the "Land of Smiling Beauty", is a province of the Philippines in the Cagayan Valley region in Luzon. Its capital is Tuguegarao City and is located at the northeastern corner of the island of Luzon. Cagayan also includes the Babuyan Islands to the north. The province borders Ilocos Norte...

. The now severe tropical storm Parma then began to wane its strength as it crossed Luzon island for the second time. It then emerged on the South China Sea as a tropical depression. Parma became one of the deadliest typhoons to hit the Philippines in a decade.

Meteorological history

During September 26, the Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC) started to monitor an area of convection that was located about 445 km (275 mi), to the southeast of Guam. The system had an elongated low-level circulation center with convection developing around the center. Upper level analysis showed that the system was located in an area of low vertical wind shear and had a good poleward outflow into a tropical upper tropospheric trough. During the next day, convection started to consolidate before both the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) and the JTWC initiated advisories on the system, with the JTWC designating it as Tropical Depression 19W. After being classified, the depression remained weak and poorly organized, as it lay close to Tropical Storm 18W. During September 28, as the depression moved away from 18W, the JTWC reported that the depression had intensified into a tropical storm despite it remaining poorly organized, and acquired the name Parma.

Caroline Islands

Early on September 28, the National Weather Service
National Weather Service
The National Weather Service , once known as the Weather Bureau, is one of the six scientific agencies that make up the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration of the United States government...

 Weather Forecast Office in Guam
Guam
Guam is an organized, unincorporated territory of the United States located in the western Pacific Ocean. It is one of five U.S. territories with an established civilian government. Guam is listed as one of 16 Non-Self-Governing Territories by the Special Committee on Decolonization of the United...

 using data from the Joint Typhoon Warning Center placed Ulithi, Faraulep and Fais
Caroline Islands
The Caroline Islands are a widely scattered archipelago of tiny islands in the western Pacific Ocean, to the north of New Guinea. Politically they are divided between the Federated States of Micronesia in the eastern part of the group, and Palau at the extreme western end...

 under tropical storm warnings and declared Tropical storm watches for Yap and Ngulu
Caroline Islands
The Caroline Islands are a widely scattered archipelago of tiny islands in the western Pacific Ocean, to the north of New Guinea. Politically they are divided between the Federated States of Micronesia in the eastern part of the group, and Palau at the extreme western end...

 whilst the depression was moving towards the state of Yap. Tropical storm warnings were then declared for Yap and Ngulu later that morning as the depression was moving to the northwest of Faraulep. These warnings stayed in effect until early the next day when they canceled the warnings for Faraulep, Fais and Ulithi after the depression had intensified into a named storm, and had passed by the islands. NWS Guam then placed Koror and Kayangel
Caroline Islands
The Caroline Islands are a widely scattered archipelago of tiny islands in the western Pacific Ocean, to the north of New Guinea. Politically they are divided between the Federated States of Micronesia in the eastern part of the group, and Palau at the extreme western end...

 under a tropical storm watch later that day before cancelling all warnings early on September 30.

Philippines

The National Disaster Coordinating Council (NDCC) advised all local government officials across Luzon to evacuate people if needed to ensure their safety. In addition to the NDCC, they gave out relief goods and other necessities. President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo also requested PAGASA to monitor the super typhoon every two hours and update its website. Also, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration
Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration
The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration is a Philippine national institution dedicated to provide flood and typhoon warnings, public weather forecasts and advisories, meteorological, astronomical, climatological, and other specialized information and...

 (PAGASA) advised all areas with public storm signals to be alerted against storm surges, landslides, and flash floods. The Coast Guard
Philippine Coast Guard
The Philippine Coast Guard is a maritime law enforcement agency operating under the Department of Transportation and Communications of the Philippines....

 placed the entire country under red alert, meaning that the agency would monitor the whole country, especially Northern and Central Luzon. All ferry stations with routes from Luzon
Luzon
Luzon is the largest island in the Philippines. It is located in the northernmost region of the archipelago, and is also the name for one of the three primary island groups in the country centered on the Island of Luzon...

 to Visayas
Visayas
The Visayas or Visayan Islands and locally known as Kabisay-an gid, is one of the three principal geographical divisions of the Philippines, along with Mindanao and Luzon. It consists of several islands, primarily surrounding the Visayan Sea, although the Visayas are considered the northeast...

 and vice-versa suspended operations, and
fishermen were advised not to go to sea to avoid turbulent waves.

As preparations continued, different dams were opened and large amounts of water freed to avoid the overflowing of dams. In Isabela, the Magat Dam
Magat Dam
Magat Dam is a large rock-fill dam on the island of Luzon in the Philippines. The dam is located on Magat River, a major tributary of Cagayan River. Construction of the dam started in 1975 and completed in 1982...

 released a large amount of water. Its water was projected to pass through Cagayan River
Cagayan River
The Cagayan River is the longest and largest river in the Philippine Archipelago. It is located in the Cagayan Valley region in northeastern part of Luzon island and traverses the provinces of Nueva Vizcaya, Quirino, Isabela and Cagayan.-Topography:...

, forcing locals along the river to evacuate. The Angat Dam
Angat Dam
Angat Dam is a concrete water reservoir embankment hydroelectric dam that supplies the Manila metropolitan area water. It was a part of the Angat-Ipo-La Mesa water system...

 in Bulacan
Bulacan
Bulacan , officially called the Province of Bulacan or simply Bulacan Province, is a first class province of the Republic of the Philippines located in the Central Luzon Region in the island of Luzon, north of Manila , and part of the Metro...

 also released large amounts of water, flooding the towns of Calumpit and Hagonoy
Hagonoy, Bulacan
Hagonoy is a 1st class urban municipality in the province of Bulacan, Philippines. According to the 2007 NSO census, it has a population of 126,329 inhabitants distributed in 25,900 households. It is the birthplace of Former Senator Blas F...

. Local officials took evacuated people living in the area. Five barangays in Nueva Ecija
Nueva Ecija
Nueva Ecija is a landlocked province of the Philippines located in the Central Luzon region. Its capital is Palayan City...

 were already flooded due to water from Pantabangan Dam
Pantabangan Dam
Pantabangan Dam is an earth-fill embankment dam on the Pampanga River located near Pantabangan in Nueva Ecija province of the Philippines. The multi-purpose dam provides water for irrigation and hydroelectric power generation while its reservoir affords flood control. The reservoir is considered...

, which released 250 cubic meters per second from 1 pm on October 1, 05:00 (UTC) to 1 am on October 2, 17:00 (UTC). Local officials also took charge to evacuate people. In Laguna, the Caliraya Dam
Caliraya Dam
Caliraya Dam is an embankment dam located in the town of Lumban province of Laguna, in the Sierra Madre Mountain Range of the Philippines. The reservoir created by the dam, Lake Caliraya, initially supplied one of the oldest hydroelectric plants in the Philippines, and later became a popular...

 released water as a precaution against Parma's heavy rains, even though Laguna would not be directly affected by the super typhoon. On the morning of October 2, President Gloria Macapagal — Arroyo declared the whole country under a state of calamity.

In Metro Manila
Metro Manila
Metropolitan Manila , the National Capital Region , or simply Metro Manila, is the metropolitan region encompassing the City of Manila and its surrounding areas in the Philippines...

, billboards were rolled down due to strong winds that were anticipated. Air travel, cargo ships, and other water transport throughout the Islands were suspended. The Commission on Higher Education (CHED) suspended classes for regions 1, 2, 3, 4a, 4b, 5 and CAR. In Laguna, the Laguna Lake Development Authority (LLDA) evacuated a massive 100,000 residents that live near the Laguna lake.

Taiwan

Following the devastating impacts of Typhoon Morakot in August, residents in southern Taiwan were weary upon hearing of a new typhoon approaching the region. By October 3, residents of six villages in the hard hit county of Kaohsiung began evacuating. The following day, the Central Weather Bureau issued a land warning for the Hengchun Peninsula as Parma moved over the northern Philippines. Residents in the region were advised to prepare for heavy rains and high winds in relation to the storm. At least 55 international flights from Taiwanese airports were cancelled or delayed due to Typhoon Parma as it stalled in the Bashih Channel. On October 5, mandatory evacuations were put in place for portions of southern Taiwan, leading to roughly 6,000 residents leaving the area for shelter. Emergency officials deployed 200 elite soldiers to the region to assist in the evacuation and placed 35,000 more on standby for relief operations.

Caroline Islands


Whilst it was a Tropical Storm, Parma passed to the south of the westernmost state of Yap
Yap
Yap, also known as Wa'ab by locals, is an island in the Caroline Islands of the western Pacific Ocean. It is a state of the Federated States of Micronesia. Yap's indigenous cultures and traditions are still strong compared to other neighboring islands. The island of Yap actually consists of four...

, battering the east coast of the main island with torrential rain and winds of up to 95 km/h (60 mph). As a result Continental Micronesia, cancelled its scheduled passenger flight to Guam, whilst the governor of Yap ordered that government employees stay at home and that residents took all precautions that were possible whilst placing Yap under the highest state of storm alerts.

Philippines

Even though Parma was still too far to make its landfall in northern Philippines, various transportation was suspended before the super typhoon draw near. In Catanduanes
Catanduanes
Catanduanes is an island province of the Philippines located in the Bicol Region in Luzon. Its capital is Virac and the province lies to the east of Camarines Sur across Maqueda Channel. As of 2007, the population of the province is 232,757 people.-Etymology:"Isla de Cobos" was Catanduanes' first...

, where the first signal warning no.3 was raised, the province's power and communications were cut. Fallen trees were already in the main roads. About 30,000 families were evacuated. In addition also to the Bicol
Bicol Region
The Bicol Region or Bicolandia is one of the 17 regions of the Philippines. Its regional center is Legazpi City...

 region, more than 2,000 passengers were stranded in ferry stations. 39 provinces including Metro Manila were put to signal warnings, with each place experienced massive rainfall with strong winds. Parma made its landfall at Northeastern Cagayan at 3:00pm PST/07:00 (UTC)In Cagayan
Cagayan
Cagayan , the "Land of Smiling Beauty", is a province of the Philippines in the Cagayan Valley region in Luzon. Its capital is Tuguegarao City and is located at the northeastern corner of the island of Luzon. Cagayan also includes the Babuyan Islands to the north. The province borders Ilocos Norte...

, at least 6,036 people in 39 barangays (villages) were affected, while P20.33 million worth of agricultural produce were destroyed. Also, in the Chico River was swelled due to the typhoon, making the Maguilling Overflow Bridge along the Cagayan-Apayao Road impassable. The Maharlika Highway in Ilagan, Isabela to Cagayan became hardly passable due to the trees and electric posts that fell when Pepeng battered the area. Total power interruption also crippled the provinces of Kalinga, Apayao, and the northern towns of Isabela. In Kalinga, landslides were reported on roads linking the provincial capital, Tabuk, to upland towns. In Zambales, at least 2,100 families were evacuated as Pepeng brought heavy rains causing the Bucao River to swell. The Carael section of the Zambales highway became impassable due to rising floodwaters. Due to heavy downpour, the San Roque Dam
San Roque Dam (Philippines)
The San Roque Dam, operated under San Roque Multipurpose Project is a massive gated spillway of 200 meters height, 1.2 kilometer length embankment dam on the Agno River spanning the municipalities of San Manuel and San Nicolas, Pangasinan, nearly 200 km north of Metro Manila.The dam impounds...

 in Eastern Pangasinan
Pangasinan
Pangasinan is a province of the Republic of the Philippines. The provincial capital is Lingayen. Pangasinan is located on the west central and peripheral area of the island of Luzon along the Lingayen Gulf, with the total land area being 5,368.82 square kilometers . According to the latest census,...

 and Pantabangan Dam in Nueva Ecija
Nueva Ecija
Nueva Ecija is a landlocked province of the Philippines located in the Central Luzon region. Its capital is Palayan City...

 was forced to release huge amount of water. It caused flooding in Eastern and Central Pangasinan as well as Nueva Ecija. In Metro Manila
Metro Manila
Metropolitan Manila , the National Capital Region , or simply Metro Manila, is the metropolitan region encompassing the City of Manila and its surrounding areas in the Philippines...

 the area is still experienced torrential rains and strong winds. Floodwaters continue to rise in some areas in Metro Manila and Calabarzon
CALABARZON
CALABARZON is one of the regions of the Philippines. It is also designated as Region IV-A and its regional center is Calamba City in Laguna...

. In Pateros
Pateros, Metro Manila
The Municipality of Pateros is a First-class municipality in Metro Manila, Philippines. This small town is famous for its duck-raising industry and especially for producing balut, a Filipino delicacy that is boiled duck egg...

, Muntinlupa, and Taguig, in Taytay
Taytay, Rizal
The Municipality of Taytay is a first class, urban municipality in the province of Rizal, Philippines. It is currently the third second most populous town in Rizal after and Cainta. Taytay serves a the gateway of West Rizal to the cities of Pasig and Taguig...

 town in Rizal province, and in the towns of Biñan and San Pedro
San Pedro, Laguna
The City of San Pedro is a first class Municipality in the province of Laguna, Philippines. It is named after its patron saint, Saint Peter. San Pedro is Laguna's gateway to Metro Manila since it lies on the boundary with Muntinlupa City, Metro Manila's southernmost city...

 in Laguna province, the flood is not subsiding. The Laguna de Bay
Laguna de Bay
Laguna de Bay is the largest lake in the Philippines and the third largest freshwater lake in Southeast Asia after Tonle Sap in Cambodia and Lake Toba in Sumatra, Indonesia. It is on the island of Luzon between the provinces of Laguna to the south and Rizal to the north...

 is breaking a 90-year record in meters of water, which threatens to submerge more areas in Metro Manila. In Benguet
Benguet
Benguet is a landlocked province of the Philippines in the Cordillera Administrative Region in Luzon. Its capital is La Trinidad and borders, clockwise from the south, Pangasinan, La Union, Ilocos Sur, Mountain Province, Ifugao, and Nueva Vizcaya....

, a landslide killed at least 200 as Tropical Depression Parma continues to bring rain across northern Luzon
Luzon
Luzon is the largest island in the Philippines. It is located in the northernmost region of the archipelago, and is also the name for one of the three primary island groups in the country centered on the Island of Luzon...

. Due to severe flooding, Leptospirosis
Leptospirosis
Leptospirosis is caused by infection with bacteria of the genus Leptospira, and affects humans as well as other mammals, birds, amphibians, and reptiles.The...

 became a problem that affected many. In Pasig City General Hospital alone, 30 people have been taken in for diagnosis. The Department of Health announced that there is a Leptospirosis
Leptospirosis
Leptospirosis is caused by infection with bacteria of the genus Leptospira, and affects humans as well as other mammals, birds, amphibians, and reptiles.The...

 outbreak in Marikina.

Taiwan

Torrential rainfall fell across southern Taiwan as Typhoon Parma stalled south of the island. In some areas, more than 500 mm (19.7 in) of rain fell, resulting in floods up to 0.5 m (1.6 ft) deep. These floods prompted emerency evacuations in hundreds of villages throughout Taiwan. After 200 mm (7.9 in) of rain fell in Yilan County, emergency officials enacted the first mandatory evacuation in northern Taiwan, relocating hundreds of residents. Several landslides were reported in mountainous regions, mainly in southern parts of the island. Military convoys loaded with sandbags traveled to rising rivers to help reinforce them and prevent them from overflowing their banks. As a result of the continuous rainfall and cloud cover, temperatures across Taiwan fell below average.

Off the coast of Taiwan, a ship carrying 14 people sank after being battered by rough seas produced by Typhoon Parma. One person was confirmed dead, three were rescued and ten others were listed as missing.

China

Off the cost of Hainan Island, a ship carrying nine people capsized. Three people were confirmed to have drowned, five were rescued and one other remains missing.

Vietnam

Typhoon Parma made its final landfall near Hai Phong on October 15 after causing damage to Bach Long Vi island
Bach Long Vi
Bach Long Vi island is located in the Gulf of Tonkin, about halfway between Hai Phong and Hainan Island . The island is an offshore district of Haiphong City. Fishing comprises the majority of economic activity in the Gulf of Tonkin, and Bach Long Vi is a major nursery and harvesting area for...

 where 62 fishing boats were sunk. No deaths were reported.

Retirement

Due to the large number of fatalities and damage caused by the storm, the names "Parma" and "Pepeng" were later retired.The committee selected the name "In-fa" to replace "Parma" on the Western Pacific basin name lists beginning in 2011.

See also

  • 2009 Pacific typhoon season
    2009 Pacific typhoon season
    The 2009 Pacific typhoon season was the period that tropical cyclones formed in the Western Pacific Ocean. The season ran throughout the year during 2009, with most tropical cyclones forming between May and November. The scope of this article is limited to the Pacific Ocean, north of the equator...

  • Timeline of the 2009 Pacific typhoon season
    Timeline of the 2009 Pacific typhoon season
    This timeline documents all of the events of the 2009 Pacific typhoon season which was the period that tropical cyclones formed in the Western Pacific Ocean during 2009, with most of the tropical cyclones forming between May and November. The scope of this article is limited to the Pacific Ocean,...

  • Effects of the 2009 Pacific typhoon season in the Philippines
    Effects of the 2009 Pacific typhoon season in the Philippines
    The effects of the 2009 Pacific typhoon season in the Philippines were considered some of the worst in decades. Throughout the year, series of typhoons impacted the country, with the worst damage occurring during September and October from Typhoons Ketsana and Parma.-Seasonal...


External links

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