Weather of 2002
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{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2024}}
File:Schillergarten Dresden August 2002.jpg in August killed 232 people.]]
The following is a list of weather events that occurred on Earth in 2002. There were several natural disasters around the world from various types of weather, including blizzards, cold waves, droughts, heat waves, tornadoes, and tropical cyclones. The deadliest disaster was a heat wave in India in May, which killed more than 1,030 people. The costliest event of the year was a flood in Europe in August, which killed 232 people and caused {{Euro|27.7 billion}} (US$27.115 billion) in damage. In September, Typhoon Rusa struck South Korea, killing at least 213 people and causing at least ₩5.148 trillion (US$4.2 billion) in damage.
{{Weather by decade/2000–2009}}
Winter storms and cold waves
In October, Cyclone Jeanett killed 33 people when it moved across Europe.{{cite news|title=Munich Re NatCatSERVICE: Natural catastrophes 2002|url=https://reliefweb.int/sites/reliefweb.int/files/resources/1332ACB6039023D4C1256C9F0054CAFE-munichre-natdis-30dec.pdf|access-date=14 November 2017|publisher=Munich Re|date=30 December 2002}}
In December, an ice storm affected North Carolina, killing 24 people.{{Cite web |url=http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/weather/2002-12-05-winter-storm_x.htm |title=USATODAY.com – Worst ice storm in years devastates the Carolinas |access-date=2013-01-31 |archive-date=2013-02-03 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130203120706/http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/weather/2002-12-05-winter-storm_x.htm |url-status=dead }}
Droughts, heat waves, and wildfires
Floods
In February, flash floods affected the Bolivian capital city La Paz, killing 69 people.
On March 31, flash floods in the Canary Islands killed eight people and left {{Euro|20 million}} in damage.{{cite web| url=http://meteorologia.uib.eu/ROMU/informal/proceedings_4th_plinius_02/PDFs/Cana_et_al.pdf | title=THE 31 MARCH 2002 STA. CRUZ DE TENERIFE FLASH FLOOD: CHARACTERISTICS AND DIFFERENCES WITH SIMILAR EPISODES| access-date=2023-10-31}}
In June, floods in northern Chile killed 17 people.
In August, widespread floods occurred throughout Europe, killing 232 people. The floods and {{Euro|27.7 billion}} (US$27.115 billion) in damage.{{cite journal|journal=Hydrological Sciences Journal|url=https://floodobservatory.colorado.edu/Publications/Europefloods.pdf | access-date=2023-10-31 | title=Large floods in Europe, 1985–2009|bibcode=2013HydSJ..58....1K |last1=Kundzewicz |first1=Zbigniew W. |last2=Pińskwar |first2=Iwona |last3=Brakenridge |first3=G. Robert |date=2013 |volume=58 |issue=1 |page=1 |doi=10.1080/02626667.2012.745082 }}
Tornadoes
{{main|Tornadoes of 2002}}
There were 934 tornadoes in the United States alone, collectively resulting in 55 deaths.{{cite web|title=U.S. Annual Tornado Maps (1952–2011): 2002 Tornadoes|url=http://www.spc.noaa.gov/wcm/annualtornadomaps/2002.png|website=Storm Prediction Center|publisher=National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration|accessdate=14 May 2015}}{{cite web|title=Annual U.S. Killer Tornado Statistics|url=http://www.spc.noaa.gov/climo/torn/fatalmap.php?yr=2002#tmap|website=Storm Prediction Center|publisher=National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration|accessdate=18 January 2016}} A tornado outbreak in November killed 36 people.
Tropical cyclones
File:Cyclone Zoe 27 dec 2002 2255Z.jpg, the second-strongest ever tropical cyclone in the Southern Hemisphere]]
{{see also|Tropical cyclones in 2002}}
The year began with Tropical Storm Cyprien developing near Madagascar, Cyclone Bernie developing off Northern Australia, Cyclone Waka moving away from Tonga, and a weak tropical depression near the Solomon Islands.{{cite report|title=Cyclone Season 2001–2002|url=http://www.meteo.fr/temps/domtom/La_Reunion/webcmrs9.0/anglais/archives/publications/saisons_cycloniques/index20012002.html|work=RSMC La Reunion|publisher=Météo-France|access-date=2012-11-26|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141018030248/http://www.meteo.fr/temps/domtom/La_Reunion/webcmrs9.0/anglais/archives/publications/saisons_cycloniques/index20012002.html|archive-date=18 October 2014|url-status=live}}{{Cite web|title=IBTrACS – International Best Track Archive for Climate Stewardship|url=http://ibtracs.unca.edu/index.php?name=v04r00-2001365S12138|access-date=2022-01-25|website=ibtracs.unca.edu}}{{cite journal|author=Jonty D. Hall|year=2004|title=The South Pacific and southeast Indian Ocean tropical cyclone season 2001–02|journal=Australian Meteorology Magazine|volume=53|issue=4|pages=285–304|publisher=Queensland Regional Office, Bureau of Meteorology, Australia|url=http://reg.bom.gov.au/amm/docs/2004/hall_hres.pdf|access-date=5 December 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110706121306/http://reg.bom.gov.au/amm/docs/2004/hall_hres.pdf|archive-date=6 July 2011|url-status=dead}} There were a further 15 tropical cyclones in the south-west Indian Ocean in the year, including Cyclone Dina, which caused 15 deaths in the Mascarene Islands, and Cyclone Kesiny, which killed 33 people in Madagascar. The year ended with Tropical Storm Delfina moving ashore Mozambique.{{Cite web|title=Southern Hemisphere 2002–2003 Tropical Cyclone Season Review|url=http://australiasevereweather.com/cyclones/2003/summ2002-2003.htm|access-date=2022-01-25|website=australiasevereweather.com}}{{Cite web|title=IBTrACS – International Best Track Archive for Climate Stewardship|url=http://ibtracs.unca.edu/index.php?name=v04r00-2002364S16045|access-date=2022-01-25|website=ibtracs.unca.edu}} In the Australian region, nine tropical cyclones developed in the year after Bernie, including powerful Cyclone Chris which struck Western Australia.{{cite web|author=Joe Courtney|work=Perth Tropical Cyclone Warning Centre|publisher=Australian Bureau of Meteorology|year=2002|access-date=10 December 2010|title=Tropical Cyclone Chris Tropical Cyclone Report|url=http://www.bom.gov.au/cyclone/history/pdf/chris.pdf}} In the South Pacific, there were 16 tropical cyclones that developed after Waka. The year ended with Cyclone Zoe moving away from Fiji, three days after it became the second-most intense tropical cyclone on record within the Southern Hemisphere.{{Cite web|title=Southern Hemisphere 2001–2002 Tropical Cyclone Season Review|url=http://australiasevereweather.com/cyclones/2002/summ2001-2002.htm|access-date=2022-01-25|website=australiasevereweather.com}}{{Cite web|title=Tropical Cyclone Winston Makes Category 5 Landfall; Strongest on Record in Fiji | The Weather Channel - Articles from The Weather Channel | weather.com|url=https://weather.com/storms/hurricane/news/tropical-cyclone-winston-fiji-strongest-landfall|access-date=2022-01-25|website=The Weather Channel|language=en-US}}
The first storm to develop in the northern hemisphere was Tropical Storm Tapah on January 9 east of the Philippines. There were a total of 36 tropical cyclones that year. Among the storms were Typhoon Rusa, which was the most powerful typhoon to strike South Korea in 43 years, and which caused at least 213 fatailties and ₩5.148 trillion (US$4.2 billion).{{Cite web|title=Northern Hemisphere 2002 Tropical Cyclone Season Review|url=http://australiasevereweather.com/cyclones/2003/summ2002.htm|access-date=2022-01-25|website=australiasevereweather.com}}{{Cite book|last1=Kim|first1=Yong-kyun|last2=Sohn|first2=Hong-Gyoo|chapter=Disasters from 1948 to 2015 in Korea and Power-Law Distribution |date=11 July 2017|title=Disaster Risk Management in the Republic of Korea|series=Disaster Risk Reduction|pages=77–97|doi=10.1007/978-981-10-4789-3_3|pmc=7123863|isbn=978-981-10-4788-6}} Tropical Storm Kammuri killed 153 people in China.{{cite report|author=International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies|publisher=ReliefWeb|date=3 September 2002|title=China: Flash Floods Appeal No. 16/02 Operations Update No. 4|access-date=2012-10-15|url=http://reliefweb.int/report/china/china-flash-floods-appeal-no-1602-operations-update-no-4}} Mudslides caused by Typhoon Chataan killed 47 people in the Federated States of Micronesia, becoming the deadliest natural disaster in the history of Chuuk State.{{cite report|author=International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement|title=Federated States of Micronesia: Typhoon Chataan Information Bulletin No.01/2002|publisher=ReliefWeb|date=4 July 2002|access-date=2012-06-27|url=http://reliefweb.int/node/104611}} In the North Indian Ocean, there were seven tropical cyclones, beginning with a cyclonic storm that struck Oman in May.{{cite web|author=Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific|date=10 March 2003|title=2002 Annual Tropical Cyclones Review|publisher=World Meteorological Organization|access-date=2008-07-15|url=http://www.preventionweb.net/files/1527_7895.pdf|archive-date=2016-03-03|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303181921/http://www.preventionweb.net/files/1527_7895.pdf|url-status=live}} In November, a cyclonic storm struck West Bengal, killing 173 people.{{cite report|url=http://www.emdat.be/search-details-disaster-list |title=Disaster List |work=Université Catholique de Louvain |publisher=EM-DAT: The OFDA/CRED International Disaster Database |access-date=16 October 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140203051752/http://www.emdat.be/search-details-disaster-list |archive-date=3 February 2014 }} There were 19 tropical cyclones in the eastern Pacific, including three Category 5 hurricanes – Elida, Hernan, and Kenna. The last of the three, Kenna, also struck southwestern Mexico.{{Cite journal|last1=Franklin|first1=James L.|last2=Avila|first2=Lixion A.|last3=Beven|first3=John L.|last4=Lawrence|first4=Miles B.|last5=Pasch|first5=Richard J.|last6=Stewart|first6=Stacy R.|date=1 October 2003|title=Eastern North Pacific Hurricane Season of 2002|journal=Monthly Weather Review|language=EN|volume=131|issue=10|pages=2379–2393|doi=10.1175/1520-0493(2003)131<2379:ENPHSO>2.0.CO;2|bibcode=2003MWRv..131.2379F |issn=1520-0493|doi-access=free}} In the Atlantic Ocean, there were 14 tropical cyclones, nine of which formed in September, including hurricanes Isidore and Lili which moved through the Caribbean and into the southern United States.{{Cite journal|last1=Pasch|first1=Richard J.|last2=Lawrence|first2=Miles B.|last3=Avila|first3=Lixion A.|last4=Beven|first4=John L.|last5=Franklin|first5=James L.|last6=Stewart|first6=Stacy R.|date=1 July 2004|title=Atlantic Hurricane Season of 2002|journal=Monthly Weather Review|language=EN|volume=132|issue=7|pages=1829–1859|doi=10.1175/1520-0493(2004)132<1829:AHSO>2.0.CO;2|bibcode=2004MWRv..132.1829P |issn=1520-0493|doi-access=free}}