![]() Tropical Storm Son-Tinh nearing Vietnam on July 18 | |
Meteorological history | |
---|---|
Formed | July 15, 2018 (re-generated on July 21) |
Dissipated | July 24, 2018 |
Tropical storm | |
10-minute sustained (JMA) | |
Highest winds | 75 km/h (45 mph) |
Lowest pressure | 994 hPa (mbar); 29.35 inHg |
Tropical storm | |
1-minute sustained (SSHWS/JTWC) | |
Highest winds | 95 km/h (60 mph) |
Lowest pressure | 989 hPa (mbar); 29.21 inHg |
Overall effects | |
Fatalities | 173 |
Missing | possibly 1,100[1] |
Damage | $323 million |
Areas affected | Philippines, South China, Vietnam, Laos, Thailand, Myanmar |
IBTrACS | |
Part of the 2018 Pacific typhoon season |
Tropical Storm Son-Tinh, known in the Philippines as Tropical Storm Henry, was a weak but very deadly tropical cyclone that devastated Vietnam and Laos in July 2018. Son-Tinh originated from an area of low pressure over the Philippine Sea on July 15, 2018. Moving quickly westwards, Son-Tinh strengthened to the ninth tropical storm of the annual typhoon season on July 17. Intensifying only slightly while crossing the South China Sea, Son-Tinh made its first landfall over Hainan Island on July 18. After emerging into the Gulf of Tonkin, Son-Tinh restrengthened before making its second landfall as a tropical storm in Northern Vietnam on July 19. Once inland, Son-Tinh weakened into a low pressure area as it slowed and made a clockwise loop. The remnants of Son-Tinh then emerged back over water and regenerated into a tropical depression late on July 21.
The storm caused severe floods and mudslides in Vietnam, leading to the death of at least 32 people.[2][3][4] Over 82,000 hectares (200,000 acres) of agricultural land was inundated and at least 17,000 farm animals were swept away by the floods. The storm also caused or related to the havoc in the neighbouring country of Laos with the collapse of Attapeu dam, in which 40 people died and 98 more missing (and probably as much as 1,100 more people are missing[1]) and 6,600 more are displaced.[5][6][7]