Tropical Storm Dawn (1998)

Tropical Storm Dawn was a weak tropical cyclone that caused 187 deaths in Vietnam, and was described as the worst storm to hit the region in 3 decades.[1] The 27th tropical depression and 13th named storm of the 1998 Pacific typhoon season, Dawn formed from a monsoon trough in the South China Sea on November 16. The same day at 18:00 UTC, the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) assessed that it had become a tropical depression. The depression continued organizing, and on November 18 at 18:00 UTC, the Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC) upgraded the depression to a tropical storm, giving it the name Dawn. Dawn peaked 1-minute sustained winds of 45 knots (85 km/h; 50 mph) before making landfall near Cam Ranh, moving inland and quickly dissipating.

Not to be confused with Hurricane Dawn.
Tropical Storm Dawn
Tropical storm (JMA scale)
Tropical storm (SSHWS)
Dawn at peak intensity on November 19
FormedNovember 16, 1998
DissipatedNovember 20, 1998
Highest winds10-minute sustained: 65 km/h (40 mph)
1-minute sustained: 85 km/h (50 mph)
Lowest pressure998 hPa (mbar); 29.47 inHg
Fatalities187 total
Damage$39.3 million (1998 USD)
Areas affectedVietnam and Cambodia
Part of the 1998 Pacific typhoon season

Dawn caused 187 fatalities in Vietnam, with heavy rains flooding hundreds of thousands of houses.

Meteorological history
Map plotting the storm's track and intensity, according to the Saffir–Simpson scale
Map key
Saffir–Simpson scale
  Tropical depression (≤38 mph, ≤62 km/h)
  Tropical storm (39–73 mph, 63–118 km/h)
  Category 1 (74–95 mph, 119–153 km/h)
  Category 2 (96–110 mph, 154–177 km/h)
  Category 3 (111–129 mph, 178–208 km/h)
  Category 4 (130–156 mph, 209–251 km/h)
  Category 5 (≥157 mph, ≥252 km/h)
  Unknown
Storm type
triangle Extratropical cyclone, remnant low, tropical disturbance, or monsoon depression

The precursor to Dawn formed in a monsoon trough in the South China Sea, and on November 16, a circulation appeared near the island of Palawan, with the low becoming better organized after a northeasterly surge.[2] The same day at 18:00 UTC, the JMA assessed that it had become a tropical depression.[3] The next day, it was noted as a tropical disturbance by the JTWC, with a ship reporting winds of 25 knots (45 km/h; 30 mph),[4] and on November 18 at 00:30 UTC, the JTWC issued a Tropical Cyclone Formation Alert (TCFA) on the system.[5] On the same day at 06:00 UTC, the JMA issued its first operational warning on a tropical depression, and 3 hours later at 09:00 UTC, the JTWC issued its first warning on Tropical Depression 22W[5] as it was steered northwestwards by a subtropical ridge.[2]

The depression continued organizing, and on the same day at 18:00 UTC, the JTWC upgraded the depression to a tropical storm, giving it the name Dawn.[5] Dawn was a large system, with gales extending 130 nautical miles (240 km; 150 mi) from the center and reaching 150 nautical miles (280 km; 175 mi) in the western quadrants.[4] On November 19 at 06:00 UTC, the JMA upgraded Dawn to a tropical storm,[3] with the JTWC assessing that it had peaked at the same time, with 1-min sustained winds of 45 knots (85 km/h; 50 mph).[6] The same day at 15:00 UTC, Dawn made landfall near Cam Ranh as a tropical storm,[2] with considerable wind shear affecting it, with an exposed low-level circulation.[4] Dawn moved inland and quickly dissipated over northern Cambodia, with the JTWC and the JMA assessing that it had dissipated on November 20.[3][5]

Impacts

The combined effects of Dawn and cold weather from the north brought heavy rain to the provinces of Quang Binh, Khanh Hoa, and Tay Nguyen. 977 millimetres (38.5 in) of rain fell in A Lưới District.[7] Communications were cut off by downpours in some areas, with stretches of Highway 1 being inundated in 3 feet (0.91 m) of water.[8] A ship en route from Hong Kong to Malaysia with a crew of 22 had to abandon ship due to the storm off the coast of Phú Yên Province, with one person being killed and another 3 being injured.[9] 432 thousand houses were flooded, with another 8 thousand collapsing. Many schools and hospitals were badly damaged, with 11 bridges and sluices being swept away.[10] 30 thousand hectares of rice crops were waterlogged, with over 3 thousand farm animals being killed. 2 million people were displaced,[11] and a total of 187 people were killed.[1] Another 50 people were injured,[12] and total losses were estimated at VND547.5 billion (US$39.3 million).[10] Dawn was described as being the worst storm to hit Vietnam in 30 years.[13] The floods were later worsened by Tropical Storm Elvis, which made landfall on the same area days later.[14]

See also

References
  1. At least 187 killed after Typhoon Dawn in central Vietnam (Report). November 27, 1998. Archived from the original on September 25, 2012. Retrieved 2021-03-25.
  2. Kyle, William J. 1998 Tropical Cyclone Summary for the Western North Pacific Ocean (west of 180 degrees) (PDF) (Report). Vol. 9. Kowloon, Hong Kong: The Hong Kong Meteorological Society. p. 65. ISSN 1024-4468. Retrieved 2021-03-10.
  3. "Digital Typhoon: Typhoon 199813 (DAWN) - Detailed Track Information". agora.ex.nii.ac.jp. Retrieved 2021-03-22.
  4. Padgett, Gary. "Monthly Global Tropical Cyclone Summary November 1998". www.australiasevereweather.com. Retrieved 2021-03-10.
  5. 1998 Annual Tropical Cyclone Report (PDF) (Report). Pearl Harbor, Hawaii: Joint Typhoon Warning Center. p. 94. Retrieved 2021-03-10.
  6. "Western North Pacific Ocean Best Track Data". metoc.navy.mil. Retrieved 2021-03-26.
  7. Preliminary Report on Typhoon Dawn (Report). November 22, 1998. Retrieved 2021-03-26.
  8. "Vietnam flooding death toll at 91". patrick.guenin2.free.fr. November 23, 1998. Retrieved 2021-03-27.
  9. "Vietnam villagers save stricken Mya". burmalibrary.org. November 21, 1998. Archived from the original on 2004-11-05. Retrieved 2021-03-26.
  10. Damage in Vietnam from Tropical Storms Chip, Dawn and Elvis-Miding (Report). November 29, 1998. Retrieved 2021-03-26.
  11. "1998 Global Register of Major Flood Events". dartmouth.edu. Archived from the original on 2017-02-23. Retrieved 2021-03-10.
  12. "At Least 187 Killed After Typhoon Dawn in Vietnam". Tehran Times. November 28, 1998. Retrieved 2021-03-27.
  13. "Typhoon Dawn worst storm to hit Vietnam in 30 years". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. November 24, 1998. Retrieved 2021-03-26.
  14. "Floods fed by storm kill 151 in Vietnam". Tampa Bay Times. November 27, 1998. Retrieved 2021-03-27.
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