&sq=&lang=&file=File:Typhoon_Louise%27s_Weather_map_on_October_9,_1945.jpg) Typhoon Louise near peak intensity, battering the Nansei Islands on October 9 | |
| Meteorological history | |
|---|---|
| Formed | October 2, 1945 |
| Dissipated | October 13, 1945 |
| Unknown-strength storm | |
| 10-minute sustained (JMA) | |
| Lowest pressure | 969 hPa (mbar); 28.61 inHg |
| Category 1-equivalent typhoon | |
| 1-minute sustained (SSHWS/JTWC) | |
| Highest winds | 120 km/h (75 mph) |
| Overall effects | |
| Fatalities | 377 confirmed |
| Missing | 74 missing |
| Damage | $100,000 (1945 USD) |
| Areas affected | Mariana Islands, Guam, Palau, Caroline Islands, Nansei Islands, Japan |
| IBTrACS | |
Part of the 1945 Pacific typhoon season | |
Typhoon Louise, known in Japan as the Akune Typhoon (阿久根台風, Akune Taifū),[1] was a deadly and destructive tropical cyclone that hit Japan in October 1945, soon after the cessation of World War II. It caused at least 377 deaths and another 74 missing persons, while leaving a wide swath of damage across the country.
Being the twenty-third named storm and twelfth typhoon of the 1945 Pacific typhoon season, Louise was first seen developing on October 2 near the Caroline Islands. Moving to the northwest, it slowly organized until it strengthened to a tropical storm on the next day. It then passed between the Northern Mariana Islands on the night of October 4, bringing gale-force winds to the archipelago. It remained at that intensity until it started to approach the Ryukyu Islands on October 9, where it strengthened to a minimal typhoon. While at its peak intensity of 120 km/h (75 mph), it devastated the islands, especially Okinawa. It weakened back to a tropical storm on the next day as it curved to the northeast. Louise then passed through the Chūgoku region in Japan, then moved out into the Sea of Japan while further weakening below gale-force winds, before dissipating on October 12 near the Tsugaru Strait.
Data compiled by the Japan Meteorological Agency showed that Louise killed 377 individuals in Japan, with the majority of deaths in the Nansei Islands,[1] but other contemporaneous estimates suggested over 500 fatalities.[2] The sinking and destruction of U.S. naval vessels present as part of the occupation of Japan contributed to the number of missing individuals and deaths.[3]
- ^ a b "阿久根台風 昭和20年（1945年） 10月９日～10月13日". www.data.jma.go.jp. Retrieved 2021-04-01.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
Damageswas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ Williams, Jack. "How typhoons at the end of World War II swamped U.S. ships and nearly saved Japan from defeat". Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved 2021-04-06.