Ketsana (Ondoy) info

Ketsana (Ondoy) Overview

Typhoon Ketsana (International designation: 0916, JTWC designation: 17W, local designate: Ondoy) formed early on September 23 2009, about 860 km (535 miles) to the northwest of Palau. 

The depression remained weak and was downgraded to a low pressure area later that day by the Japan Meteorological Agency.  The low pressure area then reintenisfied early the next day and was named as Tropical Depression Ondoy by the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration as the Joint Typhoon Warning Center issued a Tropical Cyclone Formation Alert on the depression. 

It was then reupgraded to a tropical depression by the JMA later that morning before the JTWC followed suit early on September 25, designating the depression as 17W. The intensification of Ondoy was hampered throughout September 25 by the system moving into an area of moderate vertical windshear and an upper level trough of pressure which was moving over the system. It was then upgraded to a Tropical Storm and named as Ketsana before passing over the island of Luzon in the Phillipines. As it moved into the South China sea later that day the system dramatically deepened and expanded whilst moving towards the west which lead to the JMA upgrading it to a Severe Tropical Storm.

While located over the Phillipines Ketsana brought torrential rains to the Philippines before heading out to the South China Sea, where it is currently located.  Ketsana has brought record rainfall to Metro Manila, not seen since the start of rainfall record keeping according to Philieppine Atmospheric, Geophysical, Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA), producing only moderate winds but hours of extremely heavy rain, which led to the worst flooding in living memory.  Flood water levels reached a record 20 feet high in rural areas.

Basic Info

Formed September 23, 2009
Dissipated Still Active
Highest
winds
130 km/h (80 mph) (10-minute sustained)
150 km/h (90 mph) (1-minute sustained)
Lowest pressure 965 hPa (mbar)
Fatalities >122direct, >86, missing.
Damage Unknown
Areas
affected Philippines, southeast China, Vietnam

The eye of Ketsana was about 565 kilometers (351 miles) east of the city of Hue, at 7 a.m. Vietnamese time Monday, according to the US Navy Joint Typhoon Warning center. The storm’s maximum sustained winds were at 120 kilometers per hour as it moved west at 11 kph.

Ketsana’s winds are expected to strengthen to 139 kph within 24 hours, the center said. It’s forecast to cross the coast southeast of Hue late Tuesday.

Meteorological history

Storm path

Early on September 23, 2009, the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA), reported that the 25th tropical depression of the season had formed about 860 km (535 mi) to the northwest of Palau. The Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC) then reported later that day that the depression had a developing low level circulation center with the system being in a favourable environment with low vertical wind shear. The JMA then reported later that day that the depression had weakened into an area of low pressure. However early the next day as deep convection started to consolidate around the low level circulation center, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) reported that the low pressure area had become a Tropical Depression and assigned it a local name of Ondoy to the depression. A Tropical Cyclone Formation Alert was issued later that morning by the JTWC as central convection had continued to organize around a consolidating elongated but exposed low level circulation center. The JMA then reupgraded Ondoy to a tropical depression later that morning before the JTWC followed suit early on September 25, designating it as Tropical Depression 17W whilst located about 400 nm to the east of Manila in the Philippines. The system at this stage was moving along the southern side of the subtropical ridge and had good poleward outflow into a Tropical Upper Tropospheric Trough (TUTT) cell.

Throughout September 25 the intensification of Ondoy was hampered by the system moving into an area of moderate vertical wind shear and an upper level trough of pressure which was moving over the system. It was then upgraded to a Tropical Storm later that day by the JTWC and PAGASA despite its low level circulation center being partially exposed. The JMA followed suit early the next day, assigning the international name of Ketsana and the international designation of 0916 to the storm. PAGASA then reported that Ketsana had made landfall on Northern Luzon in the Philippines near to the boundary of Aurora and Quezon. As a result of Ketsana making landfall its low level circulation center had become fully exposed, however as Ketsana moved into the South China Sea the system dramatically deepened and expanded whilst moving towards the west and was upgraded to a Severe Tropical Storm by the JMA.

Ketsana Updates

NDCC update as of 6 AM Sept 28, 2009
09/28/2009 | 11:36 AM

As of 6 a.m. Monday [Sept. 28], the National Disaster Coordinating Council (NDCC) said a total of 86 people have died while 32 others were reported missing due to tropical storm “Ondoy” which hit Metro Manila and the provinces of Bulanca and Rizal.

The NDCC report said the Armed Forces has dispatched M35 trucks to haul relief goods for relief distribution in Marikina City.

Also, 15 personnel from the SBMA (Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority) Fire Department and SWAT (IED) proceeded to the PNRC (Philippine National Red Cross) national headquarters in Manila to augment rescue operations in the flooded areas in Metro Manila with one (1) rescue van, one (1) rubber boat and two (2) dump trucks.

A US contingent composed of 1 officer and 17 enlisted personnel with night capability equipment, 2 rubber boats and chopper rescuded six persons from Ever Gotesco, Cainta and distributed two hundred packs of assorted goods to affected families.

The following is a rundown of figures from the NDCC report.

Breakdown of casualties:

86 dead

* NCR – 7 (3 in Muntinlupa, 2 in NIA Road, QC, 1 Marikina City, 1 in Brgy. Bato, San Juan)
* CAR – 1 (Kabugao, Apayao)
* Region III – 22 (10 in Bulacan and 12 in Arayat, Pampanga)
* Region IV-A – 56 (1 in Calaca, Batangas, 1 in Calauag Quezon; 23 in Tanay, Rizal; 10 in Angono; 5 in Baras; 3 in Montalban; 2 in Cavite; 5 in Laguna; and 1 in Theresa and 5 military personnel)

32 missing

1 in Kabayan, Benguet; 20 in Tanay, Rizal; 9 in Infante, Pangasinan and 2 in Arayat, Pampanga

5 injured

1 in Sta. Cruz, Laguna; 1 in Cavite; and 3 in Kabayan, Benguet

* Affected Population: 86, 313 families / 435, 646 people

* Partial total of Evacuees: 23, 126 families / 115,898 people in 204 evacuation centers

Cost of damage: Total P60.5M (infrastructure – P41M; schools P19. M and
agriculture – P0.212 M)

Total number of persons rescued: 7,908

No. of assets deployed:

* 12 ambulances
* 33 M35 trucks
* 59 rubber boats
* 112 other vehicles
* 6 officers
* 5 companies
* 137 enlisted personnel
* 13 platoons
* 20 US servicemen
* 2 US watercraft
* 1 US chopper
* 8 island cruise

Advanced Command Posts (ACP) around Metro Manila

* Katipunan Avenue corner Aurora Blvd.
Overall commander: Hon. Mayor Marides Fernando
Incident Commanders: Robert Nacianceno and Ramon Santiago of MMDA
Tel Nos: 0917 322 1951 and 0920 938 9914

* Alpha base 8th floor, Pasig City Hall
Overall commander: Mayor Roberto Eusebio
Tel No: 643 0000

* Club house, City Hall of Cainta City
Overall commander: Mayor Ramon Ilagan
Tel Nos: 0927 220 4744 and 665 0846

* Department of Public Order, Safety Hall, QC
Overall commander: Mayor Sonny Belmonte
Incident Commander: Teresa Amarillo
Tel No: 0921 655 5262