Typhoon Parma
Typhoon Parma, locally named Pepeng, was a strong, deadly and erratic tropical cyclone that became the second-wettest typhoon to affect the Philippines, and the second typhoon to affect the country within the span of a week during September 2009.
Typhoon Parma was named by PAGASA as Pepeng when it entered the Philippine Area of Responsibility days after Typhoon Ketsana wreaked havoc on the country; Parma spared the capital and instead lashed the northern part of Luzon island. Parma added to the damage brought about by the earlier Typhoon Ketsana, affecting thousands of families on the north, especially in the province of Pangasinan where the San Roque Dam inadvertently released water to prevent its breach. However, in the first week of October, Parma interacted with the incoming Typhoon Melor on the Pacific, rendering it stationary as it made landfall on Southern Taiwan. Days later, the greatly weakened Parma retreated back to Luzon, making further landfalls on Ilocos Norte and Cagayan. The now Severe Tropical Storm Parma then began to wane its strength, as it crossed Luzon island for the second time. It then emerged on the South China Sea as a tropical depression, before restrengthening into a tropical storm and striking Hainan and Vietnam before finally dissipating in October 14.
Parma's bizarre, long-lived, and erratic track over northern Luzon led to near-record levels of rainfall, causing devastating flooding that led to Parma becoming one of the deadliest typhoons to hit the Philippines in a decade. Due to the high death toll and damages, both the JMA and PAGASA retired Parma and Pepeng from their respective naming lists.
Meteorological history
During September 26, the Joint Typhoon Warning Center started to monitor an area of convection that was located about 445 km, to the southeast of Guam. The system had an elongated low-level circulation center with convection developing around the center. Upper level analysis showed that the system was located in an area of low vertical wind shear and had a good poleward outflow into a tropical upper tropospheric trough. During the next day, convection started to consolidate before both the Japan Meteorological Agency and the JTWC initiated advisories on the system, with the JTWC designating it as Tropical Depression 19W. After being classified, the depression remained weak and poorly organized, as it lay close to Tropical Storm 18W. During September 28, as the depression moved away from 18W, the JTWC reported that the depression had intensified into a tropical storm despite it remaining poorly organized, and acquired the name Parma.Parma started to intensify to a typhoon as it moved closer to the Philippines, and soon underwent rapid intensification as it developed a pinhole eye. On October 1, Parma reached its peak intensity with winds of. Afterwards, Parma started a weakening trend as it moved closer to the Philippines, and on October 3 made landfall on northern Luzon, Philippines. During its landfall in the Philippines, Parma began to travel northwest towards China. It slowed down and weakened, then turned back south towards the Philippines. Parma made a second landfall on October 6 with sustained winds of. It weakened to a tropical depression before emerging off the east coast of Luzon on October 7, remaining stationary for a day. On October 8 it made a third landfall the eastern coast of Cagayan, then moved slowly across Luzon, eventually emerging in the South China Sea. After regaining some strength, it travelled westward and hit the island of Hainan, China, with winds of. It then made a final landfall in Vietnam on October 13, and dissipated over the country on October 14.
Preparations
Caroline Islands
Early on September 28, the National Weather Service Weather Forecast Office in Guam using data from the Joint Typhoon Warning Center placed Ulithi, Faraulep and Fais under tropical storm warnings and declared Tropical storm watches for Yap and Ngulu whilst the depression was moving towards the state of Yap. Tropical storm warnings were then declared for Yap and Ngulu later that morning as the depression was moving to the northwest of Faraulep. These warnings stayed in effect until early the next day when they canceled the warnings for Faraulep, Fais and Ulithi after the depression had intensified into a named storm, and had passed by the islands. NWS Guam then placed Koror and Kayangel under a tropical storm watch later that day before cancelling all warnings early on September 30.Philippines
The National Disaster Coordinating Council advised all local government officials across Luzon to evacuate people if needed to ensure their safety. In addition to the NDCC, they gave out relief goods and other necessities. President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo also requested PAGASA to monitor the super typhoon every two hours and update its website. Also, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration advised all areas with public storm signals to be alerted against storm surges, landslides, and flash floods. The Coast Guard placed the entire country under red alert, meaning that the agency would monitor the whole country, especially Northern and Central Luzon. All ferry stations with routes from Luzon to Visayas and vice versa suspended operations, andfishermen were advised not to go to sea to avoid turbulent waves.
As preparations continued, different dams were opened and large amounts of water freed to avoid the overflowing of dams. In Isabela, the Magat Dam released a large amount of water. Its water was projected to pass through Cagayan River, forcing locals along the river to evacuate. The Angat Dam in Bulacan also released large amounts of water, flooding the towns of Calumpit and Hagonoy. Local officials took evacuated people living in the area. Five barangays in Nueva Ecija were already flooded due to water from Pantabangan Dam, which released 250 cubic meters per second from 1 pm on October 1, 05:00 to 1 am on October 2, 17:00. Local officials also took charge to evacuate people. In Laguna, the Caliraya Dam released water as a precaution against Parma's heavy rains, even though Laguna would not be directly affected by the super typhoon. On the morning of October 2, President Gloria Macapagal — Arroyo declared the whole country under a state of calamity.
In Metro Manila, billboards were rolled down due to strong winds that were anticipated. Air travel, cargo ships, and other water transport throughout the Islands were suspended. The Commission on Higher Education suspended classes for regions 1, 2, 3, 4a, 4b, 5 and CAR. In Laguna, the Laguna Lake Development Authority evacuated a massive 100,000 residents living near Laguna de Bay.