Typhoon Kathy
{{Short description|Pacific typhoon in 1964}}
{{About|the 1964 typhoon|other storms of the same name|List of storms named Kathy|and|Typhoon Welpring}}
{{Infobox weather event
| name = Typhoon Kathy (Welpring)
| image = Typhoon Kathy surface analysis 20 August 1964 0600z.png
| caption = Typhoon Kathy's surface analysis on August 20, 1964.
| formed = August 10, 1964
| dissipated = August 25, 1964
}}{{Infobox weather event/JMA
| winds = 115
| pressure = 948
}}{{Infobox weather event/JTWC
| basin = WPac
| winds = 130
| pressure = 954
}}{{Infobox weather event/Effects
| fatalities = 75
| damages = Unknown
| areas = Japan, Ryuku Islands
}}{{Infobox weather event/Footer
| season = 1964 Pacific typhoon season
}}
Typhoon Kathy, known in the Philippines as Super Typhoon Welpring, was the largest and longest-lived typhoon in 1964. As the fourteenth named storm of the season, it originated from an area of circulation southeast of Japan by August 11. The following day, the system strengthened into a tropical storm, gaining the name Kathy. Kathy reached typhoon strength on August 13, passing south of Tokyo, approaching the Ryukyu Islands. The typhoon's winds peaked at {{convert|165|km/h|mph|abbr=on}} on August 14, before tapering as the storm curved west-southwest. For the next four days, Kathy and nearby Typhoon Marie began a Fujiwhara interaction, causing both storms to rotate around each other, which ended when Marie was pulled into Kathy's circulation. Between August 15 and August 16, Kathy weakened into a tropical storm, before strengthening back to typhoon status. The storm's west-southwest path brought the center across the Ryukyu Islands and near Okinawa on August 16 as Kathy began to execute a loop in its track. Two days later, Kathy's winds were estimated by the JTWC to be around {{convert|215|km/h|mph|abbr=on}}. The typhoon's track made a smaller loop on August 20, before heading northwards. On August 23, Kathy made landfall in Japan with winds of {{convert|130|km/h|mph|abbr=on}} and weakened to a tropical storm. It then curved northeast. On August 25, Kathy transitioned into an extratropical cyclone and continued northeast, reaching the Bering Strait on September 1. Due to its lifetime and large size, the Joint Typhoon Warning Center issued warnings for {{frac|13|1|2}} days, and the storm's circulation reached a radius of {{convert|1370|km|mi|round=}}.{{cite report |url=https://www.metoc.navy.mil/jtwc/products/atcr/1964atcr.pdf |title=Annual Typhoon Report, 1964 |date=February 15, 1964 |publisher=Fleet Weather Central/Joint Typhoon Warning Center |location=Guam, Mariana Islands |access-date=June 12, 2020 |editor1-last=Cassidy |editor1-first=Richard M. |series=Annual Typhoon Report}}{{rp|59}}
Meteorological history
{{Storm path|Kathy 1964 track.png}}
The interaction of a polar trough and easterly wave led to the genesis of an area of circulation southeast of Japan by August 11.{{rp|141}} This system developed into a tropical storm, gaining the name Kathy the following day east of Iwo Jima based on ship observations.{{cite web |date=2018 |title=1964 Super Typhoon KATHY (1964224N25161) |url=http://ibtracs.unca.edu/index.php?name=v04r00-1964224N25161 |access-date=June 25, 2020 |website=IBTrACS - International Best Track Archive for Climate Stewardship |publisher=University of North Carolina–Asheville |location=Asheville, North Carolina}}{{cite journal |date=1965 |title=Climatological Data: National Summary (Annual 1964) |url=https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/pub/orders/IPS/IPS-35536A67-8545-4734-9F7E-A3AD8A5DB47B.pdf |journal=Climatological Data |location=Asheville, North Carolina |publisher=United States Weather Bureau |volume=15 |issue=13 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200613165815/https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/pub/orders/IPS/IPS-35536A67-8545-4734-9F7E-A3AD8A5DB47B.pdf |archive-date=June 13, 2020 |access-date=June 12, 2020 |via=National Centers for Environmental Information}}{{rp|76}} Maintaining a west-northwestward heading, Kathy reached typhoon strength on August 13, passing well south of Tokyo on approach towards the Ryukyu Islands.{{cite news |date=August 15, 1964 |title=Typhoon By-Passes Tokyo |page=1 |work=The Indianapolis News |agency=United Press International |location=Indianapolis, Indiana |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/54128142/ |access-date=June 25, 2020 |via=Newspapers.com}}{{cite news |date=August 16, 1964 |title=Japan Area Has Strong Winds |volume=42 |page=1 |work=Hawaii Tribune-Herald |agency=Associated Press |issue=226 |location=Hilo, Hawaii |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/54128423/ |access-date=June 25, 2020 |via=Newspapers.com}} The typhoon's winds peaked at {{convert|165|km/h|mph|abbr=on}} on August 14 before tapering as the storm curved towards the west-southwest.{{rp|76}} For the next four days, Kathy and nearby Typhoon Marie began a Fujiwhara interaction, causing both storms to rotate around one another, ending when Marie was absorbed into Kathy's circulation.{{rp|50}} Between August 15–16, Kathy briefly fell to tropical storm intensity before regaining typhoon status southeast of Amami Ōshima. During this period, an airplane investigating the storm identified multiple wind circulations at the center of Kathy and the storm's clouds were asymmetric.{{cite journal |last1=Fett |first1=Robert W. |date=September 1968 |title=Some Unusual Aspects Concerning the Development and Structure of Typhoon Billie—July 1967 |url=ftp://ftp.library.noaa.gov/docs.lib/htdocs/rescue/mwr/096/mwr-096-09-0637.pdf |journal=Monthly Weather Review |publisher=American Meteorological Society |volume=96 |issue=9 |pages=637–648 |doi=10.1175/1520-0493(1968)096<0637:SUACTD>2.0.CO;2 |bibcode=1968MWRv...96..637F |access-date=June 25, 2020 |doi-access=free}}{{rp|146}} The storm's west-southwest path brought the center across the Ryukyu Islands and near Okinawa on August 16 as Kathy began to execute a counterclockwise loop in its track. Two days later, Kathy's winds were estimated by the JTWC to be around {{convert|215|km/h|mph|abbr=on}} near Minamidaitōjima. The typhoon's track made a smaller counterclockwise loop on August 20 before resuming north across the northern Ryukyu Islands. On August 23, Kathy made landfall on Kagoshima Prefecture with winds of {{convert|130|km/h|mph|abbr=on}} and weakened to a tropical storm as it crossed the Seto Inland Sea and southern Honshu. It then curved to the northeast, briefly entering the Sea of Japan and crossing the Noto Peninsula before traversing northern Honshu and emerging into the northern Pacific.{{rp|76}} On August 25, Kathy transitioned into an extratropical cyclone and continued northeast towards the Aleutian Islands before it was last in the Bering Strait on September 1.{{rp|76}}
Preparations and impact
According to the publication Climatological Data, Kathy caused at least 13 deaths and "numerous" injuries, with landslides and flooding being the principal cause of the casualties; as much as {{convert|700|mm|in|abbr=on}} of rain was documented in the mountainous regions of Kyushu, though cities averaged {{convert|100|m|in|abbr=on}} in rainfall accumulations.{{cite news |date=August 24, 1964 |title=Typhoon Hits Japan |page=1 |work=The Brandon Sun |agency=Associated Press |issue=183 |location=Brandon, Manitoba |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/54195735/ |access-date=June 26, 2020 |via=Newspapers.com}}{{rp|76}} United Press International reported as many as 24 fatalities and 8 missing persons associated with the typhoon,{{cite news |date=August 24, 1964 |title=Typhoon Hits Jap Island |volume=38 |page=2 |work=The Desert Sun |agency=United Press International |issue=17 |location=Palm Springs, California |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/54195316/ |access-date=June 26, 2020 |via=Newspapers.com}}{{cite news |date=August 25, 1964 |title=Killer Typhoon Rakes Three Japan Islands |page=7 |work=Honolulu Advertiser |agency=United Press International |issue=54497 |location=Honolulu, Hawaii |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/54196214/ |access-date=June 26, 2020 |via=Newspapers.com}} with the Associated Press documenting 28 injuries.{{cite news |date=August 25, 1964 |title=Typhoon Now Tropical Storm |page=6 |work=The Tampa Times |agency=Associated Press |issue=172 |location=Tampa, Florida |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/54197077/ |access-date=June 26, 2020 |via=Newspapers.com}} Over 4,000 people were rendered homeless. Kathy's effects flooded almost 1,700 homes and destroyed 8 others in Amami Ōshima; winds there reached {{convert|138|km/h|mph|abbr=on}}.{{cite news |date=August 22, 1964 |title=Typhoon Kathy Hits Isle South of Japan |volume=215 |page=1 |work=Sacramento Bee |agency=Associated Press |issue=34913 |location=Sacramento, California |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/54137007/ |access-date=June 25, 2020 |via=Newspapers.com}}{{cite news |date=August 23, 1964 |title=95 m.p.h. Typhoon Races on Kysuhu |volume=178 |page=5 |work=Oakland Tribune |agency=United Press International |issue=236 |location=Oakland, California |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/54193850/ |access-date=June 26, 2020 |via=Newspapers.com}} Sustained winds topped out at {{convert|126|km/h|mph|abbr=on}} with a peak gust of {{convert|195|km/h|mph|abbr=on}} on Yakushima.{{cite book |title=Proceedings of the Japan National Committee for Theoretical and Applied Mechanics, Volumes 17–18 |date=1973 |publisher=Japan National Committee for Theoretical and Applied Mechanics |page=79}} As Kathy moved across southern and central Kyushu, damage was reported in Kagoshima, Kumamoto, Miyazaki, and Oita prefectures. Kathy's winds razed 44 houses and damaged 80 houses, with another 5,500 flooded by swollen rivers. Flooding broke through river embankments in 37 locations and washed away 18 bridges. Telecommunications and transportation services were disrupted with roads damaged in 400 locations.{{cite news |date=August 24, 1964 |title=Typhoon Kathy Hits Japan, Cause Extensive Damage |page=21 |work=The Morning Call |agency=Associated Press |issue=24160 |location=Allentown, Pennsylvania |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/54194496/ |access-date=June 26, 2020 |via=Newspapers.com}}{{cite news |date=August 25, 1964 |title=Typhoon Heading for Tokyo |page=3 |work=The Sydney Morning Herald |issue=39527 |location=Sydney, Australia |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/54196595/ |access-date=June 26, 2020 |via=Newspapers.com}} There were at least 238 landslides caused by the typhoon, including one that derailed a passenger train in Oita Prefecture.{{cite news |date=August 25, 1964 |title=Typhoon Kathy Causes 7 Deaths In Japanese Island |volume=19 |page=1 |work=Guam Daily News |agency=Associated Press |issue=206 |location=Hagåtña, Guam |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/54196109/ |access-date=June 26, 2020 |via=Newspapers.com}} One landslide in Kagoshima killed 11 people.{{cite news |date=August 25, 1964 |title=Typhoon Rips Japan; 28 Dead in Wake |volume=88 |page=5 |work=The Muncie Star |agency=United Press International |issue=119 |location=Muncie, Indiana |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/54196819/ |access-date=June 26, 2020 |via=Newspapers.com}} Two thousand homes were flooded farther north in Fukushima Prefecture.{{cite news |date=August 26, 1964 |title=Typhoon Floods Thirsty Japan |volume=73 |page=2 |work=The Daily Oklahoman |agency=Reuters |issue=234 |location=Oklahoma City, Oklahoma |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/54197459/ |access-date=June 26, 2020 |via=Newspapers.com}} The extratropical remnants of Kathy brought gale-force winds over the Bering Sea.{{rp|76}}
See also
- Typhoon Kent (1992) – an intense typhoon that took a comparable track.
- Typhoon Rusa (2002) – the most powerful typhoon to strike South Korea in 43 years and took a nearly identical track.
- Typhoon Halola (2015) – a category 2 equivalent typhoon that affected similar areas.
- Typhoon Noru (2017) – a powerful typhoon that was the second-longest-lasting tropical cyclone of the Northwest Pacific Ocean on record and took a similar track.
- Typhoon Hinnamnor (2022) – a very large and strong tropical cyclone that took nearly identical track.