&sq=Envato&lang=en&file=File:HelenSep1619720502UTC.gif) Typhoon Helen south of Japan on September 16, 1972 | |
| Meteorological history | |
|---|---|
| Formed | September 11, 1972 |
| Extratropical | September 19 |
| Dissipated | September 21, 1972 |
| Typhoon | |
| 10-minute sustained (JMA) | |
| Lowest pressure | 955 hPa (mbar); 28.20 inHg |
| Category 3-equivalent typhoon | |
| 1-minute sustained (SSHWS/JTWC) | |
| Highest winds | 185 km/h (115 mph) |
| Overall effects | |
| Fatalities | 87 total |
| Damage | $102 million (1972 USD) |
| Areas affected | Japan, South Korea |
| IBTrACS | |
Part of the 1972 Pacific typhoon season | |
Typhoon Helen was the most destructive tropical cyclone to strike Japan during the 1972 Pacific typhoon season. Originating from a tropical disturbance on September 11 near the Northern Mariana Islands, Helen gradually intensified as it moved northwestward. By September 14, it reached typhoon strength and soon turned northeast towards Japan. Accelerating due to a trough over the East China Sea, Helen rapidly approached the country and made landfall near Cape Kushimoto as a Category 3-equivalent typhoon on the Saffir–Simpson Hurricane Scale. Later that day, a weakened Helen emerged into the Sea of Japan. After merging with an upper-level low, the storm transitioned into an extratropical cyclone on September 19 and was last noted two days later after moving through southern Hokkaido.
In Japan, Typhoon Helen produced torrential rain, peaking at 790 mm (31 in) in Hokkaido, and damaging winds that caused widespread damage. A total of 4,213 homes were destroyed and another 146,547 were damaged as a result of flash flooding and landslides. Numerous vessels ran aground due to rough seas associated with the storm, including several thousand ton cargo freighters. In all, 87 fatalities and $102 million in damage was attributed to Typhoon Helen.