Typhoon Ruby (1988)

For Typhoon Ruby which occurred in 2014, see Typhoon Hagupit (2014).
This article is about the 1988 typhoon. For other storms of the same name, see Tropical Storm Ruby.
Typhoon Ruby (Unsang)
Typhoon (JMA scale)
Category 4 (Saffir–Simpson scale)

Typhoon Ruby near peak intensity
Formed October 20, 1988
Dissipated October 28, 1988
Highest winds 10-minute sustained: 140 km/h (85 mph)
1-minute sustained: 230 km/h (145 mph)
Lowest pressure 950 hPa (mbar); 28.05 inHg
Fatalities 300+ total
Damage $1.3 billion (1988 USD)
Areas affected Guam, Marianas Islands, Philippines, China (especially Fujian and Hainan)
Part of the 1988 Pacific typhoon season

Typhoon Ruby, known in the Philippines as Typhoon Unsang, was a Category 4 typhoon that caused over 300 deaths and billions of dollars in damages. It was the deadliest and costliest storm of the season. The tenth typhoon of the 1988 Pacific typhoon season, Ruby formed from an area of low pressure east of the Philippines on October 20. It intensified to a 230 km/h (145 mph) typhoon while approaching central Luzon. It hit the island on the October 24, and rapidly weakened to a minimal typhoon over the island. Ruby, with its disrupted circulation, remained weak over the South China Sea, and land interaction with Vietnam caused it to dissipate on October 28.

Ruby caused over 300 fatalities, with widespread flooding and damage over its track. Ruby brought heavy rains and a 3.7 meter (12 feet) storm surge to Guam and the Marianas Islands. On Luzon, the storm's 220 km/h (140 mph) winds caused tremendous damage to the town of Siniloan. In the Polillo Islands, east of Manila, Ruby spawned rare tornadoes that leveled homes. In the northern part of the Philippines, many fishing boats were wrecked by 30–40 foot waves, and 32 more people drowned.[1] Damage in the Philippines totaled 5.64 billion Philippine pesos (1989 pesos).[2]

The passenger ferry Doña Marilyn was in the Visayan Sea when the storm struck the vessel. The ferry was not designed for deep water, and the open decks let water into the interior of the ship. The storm caused the ferry to pitch to the starboard until one of the decks was below the water, causing the ship to fill up rapidly. The passengers and crew tried to save the ship, but to no avail. The Doña Marilyn sank stern first, taking 389 people with it. Only 147 people survived by clinging to life rafts. Typhoon Ruby was the twelfth most intense tropical cyclone in terms of wind speed to affect the Bicol Region of the nation.[3]

Meteorological history

Map plotting the track and intensity of the storm according to the Saffir–Simpson hurricane wind scale

Ruby was the most devastating typhoon of the 1988 Pacific typhoon season, in terms of the damage it inflicted. It formed as a tropical depression from a trough about 1,760 kilometers (1,090 miles) east-southeast of Manila on October 21 and moved southwestwards at first. Early on October 22, the depression rapidly intensified into a tropical storm, and was given the name "Ruby".[4]

Ruby took on a westward course towards the southern Philippines. During that afternoon, Ruby further strengthened into a severe tropical storm and turned west-northwestwards. It attained typhoon status on October 23 and developed a small pinhole eye. It strengthened to a strong 230 km/h (145 mph) typhoon, and a pressure of 950 mbar (hPa; 28.05 inHg). Ruby accelerated to a speed of about 27 km/h (17 mph) in its movement towards Luzon. It made landfall over central Luzon early on October 24 and entered the South China Sea later that morning, passing about 70 kilometers (43 miles) to the south-southwest of Baguio. In the Philippines, the passenger liner Dona Marilyn was sunk with over 200 people dead or missing. The death toll on land was over 130 and financial losses totaled over $50 million (1988 USD). During the evening of October 25 when it was about 350 kilometers (220 miles) west-northwest of Manila, Ruby weakened slightly and slowed down significantly, moving on an erratic track. It then took on a west-northwestward track at about 20 km/h (12 mph) later on October 26.[4]

Ruby weakened into a severe tropical storm on October 27 and degenerated further into a tropical storm early on October 28 under the influence of strengthening northeast monsoon. That afternoon, she struck the island of Hainan. Two people were killed and caused about 133 million RMB of damage. Ruby finally became extratropical over the sea areas to the southwest of the island on October 29. During the passage of Ruby over the South China Sea, high seas associated with the outer circulation of Ruby affected the coast of Fujian Province and caused financial damage of about 37 million RMB.[4] The Philippines was hit again a few weeks after Ruby by Typhoon Skip, known as Typhoon Yoning in the nation. However, Skip was much less destructive than Ruby.

Impact

Typhoon Ruby over the South China Sea, shortly after crossing the Philippines

Philippines

Ten people drowned in flood waters when Ruby came ashore. Storm warnings were issued in Manila, Visayas Islands, the northern coast of Mindanao and south to central portions of Luzon. Extremely torrential rain drenched the Manila region late on October 23 and October 24. Manila's international airport canceled more than twenty-five domestic flights on October 24. However, international flights operated normally.[5]

Ten people drowned on October 23 when a tornado triggered flash flooding in six villages near Cagayan De Oro, 800 kilometers (500 miles) southeast of Manila. More than 20,000 people were left homeless by the typhoon. The flash flooding first took place on October 22. The tornado was spawned by Typhoon Pat, which struck the nation the same day.[5] Ruby also flattened homes, sank ships, blew buses and trucks off highways,[6] and destroyed coconut, rice, sugar and many other crops.

Ruby brought extremely destructive winds of up to 155 km/h (100 mph) on October 24. The rampage left almost thirty people dead and more than 28,000 people homeless or in evacuation centers. At least twenty-nine people were killed and forty other people feared dead. More than 28,190 people were either left homeless or in evacuation centers in ten affected provinces. Downed communication systems and downed power lines prevented an immediate assessment of property damages.[7] Ruby also caused mudslides and tidal surges that left thousands more homeless. Schools were canceled in Manila. In Cagayan de Oro, the storm left nearly seven dead. Six children drowned in flood waters and a pregnant woman was killed.[8]

The 2,855,000 kilogram (2,855 ton) passenger ferry MV Doña Marilyn sank during Ruby. It was last seen about 325 kilometers (200 miles) southeast of Manila. There were only fifteen confirmed survivors, as the storm abated. The passenger ferry had 518 passengers and crew members aboard. The ship had taken over the route of a sister vessel, the Dona Paz, which sank the previous December with a death toll of more than 1,700 (unofficial estimates put the death toll to more than 3,000).[9] A cargo ship picked up eight survivors from the Doña Marilyn; eleven other survivors were found on Maripipi Island and on another very small island, and four were found floating in the water.[10] Ruby is the nineteenth typhoon to strike the nation of the 1988 season, and the twelfth most intense tropical cyclone in terms of windspeed to affect the Bicol Region.[3] The system was also the most intense tropical cyclone to hit the main island of Luzon since Super Typhoon Patsy of the 1970 season.[11] Marikina City suffered from widespread flooding by heavy rains brought by Ruby, and many residents were stranded (many were found on their houses' rooftops and trees, and were later rescued by helicopters). Properties and businesses were flooded and roads were impassable to traffic. President Corazon Aquino declared six regions in Luzon, Visayas and northern Mindanao under a state of calamity.

Because of the death toll and extreme damages caused by the storm, PAGASA later retires the name Unsang and was replaced by Ulpiang and was first used in the 1996 season.

China

On the afternoon of October 27, Ruby struck the island of Hainan as a tropical storm, killing two people and causing about 133 million RMB of damage. Four other people were reported missing.[12] Ruby also caused heavy flooding on the island, and was one of the costliest flood events of 1988.[13] Ruby's flooding caused over $173 million in damages.[12]

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Typhoon Ruby". Joint Typhoon Warning Center. Archived from the original on June 7, 2011.
  2. ↑ "Most Destructive Tropical Cyclones for Month of October (1948-2000)". Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration. Archived from the original on May 11, 2004.
  3. 1 2 "29 MOST INTENSE TYPHOONS OF BICOL REGION, PHILIPPINES (1947 - 2006)". Typhoon 2000. 2004. Retrieved 2012-01-19.
  4. 1 2 3 "1988 Pacific Typhoon Season Summary" (PDF). Hong Kong Observatory. Retrieved 2012-01-19.
  5. 1 2 "Typhoon lashes the Philippines". The Gettysburg Times. October 24, 1988. Retrieved 2012-01-20.
  6. ↑ "Typhoon Ruby strikes the Philippines". The Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2012-01-20.
  7. ↑ "Typhoon slams into the Philippines". The Deseret News. October 24, 1988. Retrieved 2012-01-21.
  8. ↑ "Typhoon Ruby rips through the Philippines". Associated Press. October 24, 1988. Retrieved 1-21-88. Check date values in: |access-date= (help)
  9. ↑ Seth Mydans (1988). "Typhoon sinks passenger ferry". The New York Times. Retrieved 01-20-12.
  10. ↑ "15 ferry survivors found safe". The Milwaukee Journal. October 25, 1988. Retrieved 2012-01-21.
  11. ↑ Lee Davis. Natural Disasters. Retrieved 2012-01-21.
  12. 1 2 "Historical Information". Hong Kong Observatory. Retrieved 2012-1-21.
  13. ↑ "1988 Flood Archive" Dartmouth. Retrieved 2012-01-21.

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