Typhoon Lynn

Although the eye of Lynn passed just offshore Guam, it brought violent conditions to the island. There, a maximum sustained wind speed of 67 km/h (42 mph) and a peak wind gust of 105 km/h (65 mph) was recorded in Agana. Moreover, 154.4 mm (6.08 in) of rain fell at a nearby air force base.[2] Power was briefly knocked out for the entire island,[16] though by October 20, electricity had been restored to most of the island.[17] Around 40 residents were evacuated to shelter along low-lying areas.[18] Several homes sustained serious damages while many others suffered roof damage.[19] The banana and papaya crops were largely destroyed by the typhoon,[20] but damage to other crops was minimal.[17] No one in Guam was injured by Lynn.[21]

After passing near Saipan, winds of 80 km/h (50 mph) and gusts of 121 km/h (75 mph) were observed. All commercial flights to and from the island, as well as all schools and government offices, were cancelled on both October 19 and 20. Both Saipan and Rota experienced island-wide power outages on the evening of October 18.[2] Saipan bore the most significant effects from the cyclone; four people were hurt and two homes were destroyed. Several homes and office buildings on the island were also damaged.[22] Elsewhere, around 10 families fled to shelter as a result of strong winds.[18] Although damage in Rota was minor,[19] the island of Tinian received considerable damage and all of the island's 2,000 residents were briefly left without electricity. Heavy rains resulted in flooding that destroyed several dwellings and deluged many more.[23]

Throughout the Mariana Islands, agriculture damage was estimated at $2 million (1987 USD) and 15 families were displaced from their homes. Roughly 100 people sought help from the Red Cross.[17] A few weeks later, the Northern Marianas Islands were declared a major disaster area by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).[24]

On October 23, most of Luzon was placed under weather alerts.[25] Due to the threat of both storm surge and high waves, low-lying residents were advised to evacuate their homes.[26] A total of five towns were flooded in Cagayan and Ilocos Norte provinces, while Lynn triggered landslides in Benguet. In the mountain resort of Baguio City, communication and power lines sustained damage and many roads outside of Manila were destroyed; over 200 homes were damaged[27] and 100 others were demolished.[28] Nationwide, 79 people were hurt and 31,557 homes were partially damaged,[1] while 18,396 were "totally" damaged.[7] Furthermore, around 6,000 were rendered homeless and seven fatalities occurred.[29] Damage totaled $25.3 million, mostly due to public infrastructure and agriculture.[1][nb 3]

In preparation for Lynn, typhoon warnings were issued.[30] Despite not striking the country directly, Typhoon Lynn brought torrential rains to much of the island from October 24–26, including a maximum of 1,700 mm (67 in) in Taipei.[2] Two fourth graders and seven third graders were swept out to sea due to 20 ft (6.1 m) waves while on a field trip in Maopitou, a scenic spot in Kenting National Park.[31] However, on October 24, the bodies of two girls and a boy were found near Hengchun while the remaining were presumed dead.[32] The other 72 students on the trip were safely evacuated.[33] Elsewhere, a 31-year-old man was killed due to falling debris in Hualien.[34] Two people were killed[35] and four others were buried in Keelung,[29] where several cargo containers were swept offshore.[35] Damage in Keelung totaled $5 million. In Pingtung, 30,000 houses were flooded.[29] Across northern Taiwan, nine people were killed.[35] In Taipei, torrential rains deluged the city and resulted in landslides that destroyed numerous dwellings and took 13 lives. Citywide, 2,230 people were rescued by police, while after supply in the capital was cut by 75%. In all, Lynn was considered the worst system to affect Taipei in 40 years.[35]

Throughout the island, domestic flights and train service was cancelled. At the northern port of Ilan, about 60 fishing boats were lost.[28] Three fishermen were rescued after their boat capsized.[36] A total of 168,000 people lost power at some point during the storm's passage, though by October 27 power was restored to all but 88,000. Overall, 42 people were killed nationwide.[29]