Typhoon Cimaron

Landfall | Summary
Posting Date: October 30, 2006, 11:30:00 AM

On Sunday, October 29, 2006, Typhoon Cimaron made landfall on the northern island of Luzon in the Philippines as a Category 5 storm. Cimaron, the Philippine word for wild ox, was the strongest storm to hit the country in 8 years, making landfall with a central pressure of 903 mb. Though observational data is often sparse in this part of the Philippines, reports indicate maximum sustained wind speeds at landfall could have reached in excess of 255 kph, with gusts of up to 320 kph. As of 2 p.m. local time, October 30, Cimaron has weakened to a Category 2 storm and is located 360 km northwest of Manila, tracking to the west at about 22 kph. Cimaron is expected to maintain its current intensity over the next few days as it turns slowly to the south with a forecast landfall in Vietnam on Thursday. Prior to landfall in the Philippines, Cimaron intensified from a minimal tropical storm to a Category 5 Super Typhoon in a span of just 48 hours. Schools and public offices were closed and flights into and out of the region were cancelled. At least 15 people were killed by floods, downed trees and landslides, and two towns have been completely cut off by flooding. Power outages have been reported in at least 6 provinces, and 90% of houses in the town of Dinpigue are reported to have been damaged or destroyed. Cimaron made landfall on the heels of Typhoon Xangsane, which hit the Philippines in September, leaving hundreds of thousands homeless and causing significant damage to the country’s electrical and transportation infrastructure. The AIR tropical cyclone team has run simulations using information about the meteorological parameters and rainfall accumulations for this storm. Because the storm affected a sparsely populated region, and because most structures here are unlikely to be insured, AIR estimates that insured losses will be minimal.

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Posting Date: October 30, 2006, 11:30:00 AM