Mirinae Carved a Path of Death and Mayhem in Vietnam

Tropical Cyclone Mirinae Left a Trail of Death and Destruction Behind in Philippines, Vietnam, Cambodia

At Least 117 dead, hundreds injured, thousands of homes destroyed or damaged, thousands of hectares of rice and other croplands ruined.

Typhoon Mirinae killed at least 25 people in Philippines, with several others reported missing, after making landfall on October 30, 2009. The storm damaged about 15,000 structures, mostly houses, affecting about 100,000.

Mirinae temporarily lost its sting and weakened to a tropical depression as it passed over Luzon.

On November 2, 2009 it made another land fall in Vietnam’s central coastal areas as a tropical storm. It triggered severe flooding killing at least 90 people with 11 others reported as missing, and at least 60 injured, according to the officials.

More than 80,000 people were evacuated.

“Most of the victims were because of serious floods that hit the provinces of Phu Yen, Binh Dinh and Gia Lai in particular,” an official said.

Some 338 mm (13 inches) of rain fell in Vietnam’s central regions, according to the country’s national disaster committee, destroying or damaging about 2,600 homes and up to 2,000 hectares (5,000 acres) of farmland.

“Rain is not very heavy now but several areas in our province are seriously flooded,” an official said.

Mirinae left two people dead in Cambodia.

In September, TS Ketsana, one of Vietnam’s worst disasters in recent years, left about 165 people dead with hundreds more injured. It unleashed severe floods, inundated many thousands of homes and damaged thousands of hectares of ready to harvest rice paddies and croplands.

Related Links:

• Mirinae: Philippines Phlooded
• Possible Tropical Cyclone Forming Near Luzon
• TS MIRINAE – UPDATE 31 October 2009
• MIRINAE: Another Cyclone Heading Philippines Way
• Typhoon MIRINAE “In-Touch” with LUPIT

Mirinae: Philippines Phlooded

Tropical Storm MIRINAE – UPDATE 02 November 2009 at 15:UTC

On 02 November 2009 at 15:00 UTC Tropical Storm MIRINAE was located near 12.5N, 108.0E, or approximately 290 km northeast of Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam. The strom has been tracking westward (260 degrees) at a forward speed of about 22km/h during the past six hours, having made landfall shortly after 06:00 UTC. “The Low level circulation center (LLCC) is expected to dissolve over land within the next 12 hours. Remnant vorticity may track towards the Gulf of Thailand,” JTWC said, but the LLCC is not expected to redevelop.

• Maximum Sustained Winds:  85 km/h
  
• Maximum Wind Gusts:  102 km/h

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Image of the Day:

Philippines After Mirinae

Philippines Govt sent naval boats to Santa Cruz where roads were heavily flooded. Even after the floodwater receded after rain had eased, it was still reported as “chest-high” in some areas. Photo: AP. Image may be subject to copyright.

Initial Impact of Mirinae on the Philippines

• Mirinae was the fourth storm in a month to pummel the Philippines.

• It made landfall on the eastern coastal province of Quezon, buffeting the area with winds of 150 km/h and gusts of up to 190 km/h.

• The typhoon struck Quezon about 24:00 UTC, Friday, moving west, south of Manila as it weakened overland into a tropical storm Saturday afternoon, and headed in the direction of Vietnam.

• Heavy rain and strong winds caused more damage to the already storm stricken areas in the region.

• Typhoon Mirinae took a similar path to storm Ketsana, whose heavy rains inundated Manila in September causing the worst floods in living memory.

• The worst storm-related floods in living memory have left hundreds dead , with up to a quarter of a million homeless.

• Up to 20 people have been killed or were reported as missing, including 7 confirmed  deaths, as of posting. A man was drowned and his small baby washed away in Pililla township in Rizal province, east of Manila, as they tried to cross an overflowing creek, reports said.

• Six more people were killed in Laguna province, south of the capital, and up to a dozen people are reported missing.

• In the town of Santa Cruz the roads were flooded, residents waded through a chest high mix of muddy floodwater and sewage after Mirinae dumped heavy rains in the area. govt sent in naval boats to help with rescue operation.

• “The waters were really high. It was like a flashflood. It was waist deep in our area but in other areas it went as high as the rooftops,” a local official was quoted as saying.

• Up to 120,000 people were evacuated in areas south of Manila. Residents in other areas were told to prepare essential supplies for 3 days, and stay put.

• Some 180 flights were canceled, dozens of ferries grounded, many schools closed.

• Areas south of the capital were worst hit by heavy rain and strong winds, which caused significant damage.

Philippines  Cyclones Since August 2009

• 30 Oct: Typhoon Mirinae Struck Quezon, leaving up to 20 dead or missing.
• 3 Oct: Typhoon Parma’s triggered floods and landslides killing more than 200.
• 26 Sept: Tropical Storm Ketsana dumped more water on Manila and neighboring provinces than ever recorded, killing up to 400, and leaving a quarter of a million people homeless.
• 7 Aug: Typhoon Morakot swept northern Luzon, killing more than 10 people.

Related Links:

• TS MIRINAE – UPDATE 31 October 2009
• MIRINAE: Another Cyclone Heading Philippines Way
• Typhoon MIRINAE “In-Touch” with LUPIT