Typhoon Chaba (2004)

Typhoon Chaba after passing over the Northern Mariana Islands on August 23

On August 22, emergency shelters on Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands were opened in anticipation of Chaba, in response to typhoon warnings which had been issued area wide. The same regions were still recovering from Typhoon Tingting,[4] which had caused considerable damage in June 2004.[5] On the same day that shelters were opened, 442 people were relocated to the seven shelters on Guam.[4] This figure rose to nearly 2,000 after ten schools were transitioned into emergency sheltering.[6] The Antonio B. Won Pat International Airport near Tamuning, Guam was closed as part of the preparatory procedures.[4] The USS Kitty Hawk (CV-63), which had been stationed on Guam since August 19, was forced to depart during the morning hours of August 21 in order to avoid the typhoon.[7]

As Chaba was slowly tracking westward on August 28, the JMA projected the storm to make landfall on western or southwestern Japan the next day, and anticipated heavy rainfall across several prefectures.[8] Sixteen ferry routes were cancelled across southwestern Japan,[9] and 244 flights to and from airports in southern Kyushu were cancelled in response to the approaching storm on August 29, affecting about 15,000 passengers.[10] The following day, 739 more domestic flights were cancelled, affecting an additional 60,000 people.[11] Several express rail services were also cancelled. On Kyushu and Shikoku combined, 12,000 people were evacuated.[12] In Onomichi, Hiroshima, 3,500 people were evacuated due to the threat of high waves.[13]

Even before Chaba passed over the Pacific islands, the typhoon generated rough surf. On August 21 on Marpi Point Field in Saipan, a large wave resulted in a fatality and caused another person to become hospitalized.[14] As the typhoon moved through the Northern Mariana Islands, tropical storm conditions were felt in Saipan while typhoon-force winds were felt in Rota and Tinian. Rota was positioned beneath Chaba's eyewall for several hours, resulting in extremely heavy rain and strong winds. The highest recorded wind gust there peaked at 219 km/h (136 mph), and gusts in excess of 160 km/h (99 mph) were documented for ten consecutive hours. Total rainfall measurements at Rota International Airport reached 528 mm (20.8 in). Extensive damage resulted on Rota, with the complete destruction of 50 homes. An additional 175 homes sustained minor damage. At the coast, the storm surge from Chaba caused coastal inundation up to 3.4 m (11 ft) inland, resulting in beach erosion. The toppling of electrical infrastructure resulted in island-wide power outages. Similar effects occurred on Tinian and Saipan, which also experienced widespread power outages and coastal inundation. Across both islands 270 homes were destroyed and 700 others were at least partially damaged. Telephone services were also cut in Tinian. Overall, 13 people were injured and damage costs totaled to approximately US$18 million in the Northern Mariana Islands.[15]

Guam suffered less impacts from Chaba than the Northern Mariana Islands, but was still buffeted by tropical storm-force winds. At Antonio B. Won Pat International Airport, which had remained closed through the duration of the storm, wind gusts peaked at 109 km/h (68 mph). The same airport documented 329 mm (13.0 in) of rain over a three-day period as a result of the typhoon. However, the highest wind gust measured in Guam overall was in Apra Harbor, where a station clocked a wind gust at 127 km/h (79 mph). Effects were mostly of minor extent in Guam. Despite moderate coastal inundation, beach erosion was minimal, and the heavy rainfall did not cause significant flooding. The cost of damage in Guam reached US$25,000. Four minor injuries occurred, and no deaths took place as the storm passed near the island.[15] However, on August 25, after Chaba had begun moving away from Guam, four people were swept to sea by strong rip currents caused by the departing typhoon. Though three of the four were later recovered and treated for injuries, the other person was never found.[16]

After the storm passed, governor Felix Perez Camacho declared a state of emergency for Guam, allocating US$250,000 in funds towards emergency civil defense, public safety, and health care costs. Several executive offices, including the Guam Office and Defense and Homeland Security, were tasked with assessing damage and assisting in repair operations.[6] Similarly, governor Juan Babauta of the Northern Mariana Islands requested that U.S. president George W. Bush declare the commonwealth a disaster area in order to receive federal disaster assistance.[17] This request for funding was granted six days later.[18]

Typhoon Chaba approaching Japan on August 29

Typhoon Chaba was a highly destructive and costly storm for Japan. Across the nation, 18 people were killed,[19] with 285 injuries; of these 45 were severe and 243 were of minor extent.[20] In addition to the fatalities, US$2 billion in damage occurred. The resulting insurance payment for the damage equated to US$1.2 billion.[21] A total of 8,627 homes were destroyed, and 46,581 were at least inundated.[19] The damage cost made Chaba the costliest typhoon to affect Japan in 2004, only to be surpassed by Typhoon Songda the following month. As of 2014, Chaba remains the fourteenth costliest typhoon in Japanese history.[22]

Strong winds caused by Chaba damaged sugar cane crops in Kitadaitōjima beginning on August 26, resulting in JP¥39.2 million (US$360,000) in damage.[23] Three days later, Chaba passed near the island of Amami Ōshima, producing heavy rains and strong winds. As a result of these effects, power was initially cut to 5,800 households,[24] quickly increasing to near 20,000. Precipitation peaked at 300 mm (12 in) on the island, and one hundred homes were flooded.[25] The strong winds blew the roof off of a house and burst windows in several other buildings.[26] One person was injured as a result of flying glass. Similarly another person was injured due to broken glass in Yakushima.[12]

Striking the largest part of Kagoshima Prefecture on August 30, the typhoon caused heavy losses to agriculture and infrastructure. Numerous buildings sustained damage, and 1,033 of them were inundated underwater.[27] On August 30, roughly 32,300 homes in Kagoshima were without power,[12] and by the next day, Chaba's impacts resulted in 328,000 homes without electricity.[28] Damage in the prefecture amounted to JP¥5.17 billion (US$47 million), and two people were killed.[27] The highest rainfall totals measured throughout Japan as a result of Chaba occurred in nearby Miyazaki Prefecture. Precipitation in the prefecture peaked at 821 mm (32.3 in) in Ebino. A station in Mikado observed 61 mm (2.4 in) of rain in a one-hour period, greater than any other measurement in Japan over the same time period.[19] In that prefecture, 1,000 homes were left without power.[12] Two people were killed and 27 others were injured. Damage figures in Miyazaki reached JP¥38.8 billion (US$353 million).[29] The Japan Ground Self-Defense Force was dispatched in both Miyazaki and Kagoshima prefectures to rescue impacted persons and search for missing people.[13]

In Kumamoto Prefecture, 100 homes were left without power.[12] Roads and transportation routes became blocked due to the rains and numerous landslides. Damage there reached JP¥1.9 billion (US$17.4 million), and though no deaths occurred, there were seven injuries.[30] Storm surge in Fukuoka Prefecture caused damage along the coast, and resulted in some inland flooding.[31] Though being located next to the coast, Nagasaki Prefecture only experienced moderate flooding, with a few buildings becoming inundated by floodwater. Agricultural damage was much more considerable, with 5,645 hectares (13,950 acres) of farmland becoming submerged underwater.[32] Similar effects were felt in Saga Prefecture, where damage amounted to JP¥2.2 billion (US$20.1 million).[33] Ōita Prefecture suffered heavy losses as it was battered by both heavy rains and strong winds, affecting the entirety of the prefecture. Several buildings sustained façade damage. Impacts to rice, vegetable, and fruit production were also reported. Damage accrued in Ōita amounted to JP¥3.4 billion (US$31 million).[34]

On August 26, two people, one off of Kōchi Prefecture and the other off of Ehime Prefecture, were both killed after being swept away by waves estimated to have been cresting 3 m (9.8 ft) above mean sea level. These deaths occurred while the typhoon was still well into open sea.[35] Four days later, a Vietnamese freighter, the Vihan 05, ran aground near Cape Yura in Ehime Prefecture. Initially headed for Kure, Hiroshima, four of the ship's twenty crew members were thrown into the sea and went missing prior to the grounding incident.[36] In the prefecture itself, nearly 400 homes were flooded by heavy rainfall. Combined impacts of precipitation, storm surge, and strong winds caused numerous transportation delays and cancellations. A total of 116,453 electrical units failed during the typhoon's passage. Damage totaled JP¥39.6 billion (US$360 million), more than any other prefecture in Japan.[37]

On Honshū, 98,014 homes suffered power outages during Chaba.[38]