&sq=&lang=&file=File:OlgaMay211976.gif) Olga on May 21, rapidly intensifying prior to landfall on the next day. | |
| Meteorological history | |
|---|---|
| Formed | May 10, 1976 |
| Dissipated | May 28, 1976 |
| Typhoon | |
| 10-minute sustained (JMA) | |
| Lowest pressure | 940 hPa (mbar); 27.76 inHg |
| Category 3-equivalent typhoon | |
| 1-minute sustained (SSHWS/JTWC) | |
| Highest winds | 185 km/h (115 mph) |
| Overall effects | |
| Fatalities | 374 |
| Damage | $70 million (1976 USD) |
| Areas affected | Philippines, Ryukyu Islands |
Part of the 1976 Pacific typhoon season | |
Typhoon Olga, known in the Philippines as Typhoon Didang, was a strong typhoon that brought widespread damage to the Philippines in May 1976, causing what was called the "worst flooding in 30 years". The storm killed over 300 people and displaced over 1.3 million others. The storm originated from an area of several surface circulations on May 4, in which the JTWC first noted its predecessor as a southwestward-moving storm on May 12. However, it was first tracked by the JMA on May 11. Nevertheless, it strengthened to a tropical storm while continuing its motion and track. However, it weakened to a tropical depression as it slowly interacted with another circulation to its east, in which the new system dominated over the existing one. The JMA and JTWC still treated the storm as Olga as it entered the area of responsibility of the Philippines, in which the state weather bureau tracked the system as "Didang". Despite the presence of shear around the storm, the system slowly consolidated and grew as it neared the country and few hours prior to landfall, it rapidly intensified to a Category 3 storm before its landfall over Aurora on May 21. Upon inland, Olga subsequently weakened to a tropical storm as it slowed down over Central Luzon before finally exiting through the South China Sea on May 24. There, it slightly strengthened to a tropical storm as it neared land again, this time over Northern Luzon before becoming absorbed by a subtropical disturbance to the south of Okinawa on May 28, in which the JTWC last monitored the system one day prior. However, the JMA continued to track the system along with Olga's remnants until they dropped their advisories while near the International Date Line on May 31.
As a slow-moving system, Olga caused copious amounts of rainfall over the Philippines, with one area recording 50 inches of rain (1,300 mm), becoming one of the wettest tropical cyclones the island nation had ever endured. 150 km/h (95 mph) winds were also recorded at Iba, where sets for the movie Apocalypse Now were destroyed and its staff were forced to shelter in hotels and houses. 374 people were killed and over 1.3 million were left homeless. Many public infrastructures including a dam, dikes and other reservoirs were damaged while agricultural crops were inundated by the storm's rains. Further, floods affected the wide swath of Luzon, with the Central portion of the island being the most affected. Damages from the storm were officially estimated by the President at that time, Ferdinand Marcos to be at $70 million. Meanwhile, its deaths and the resulting destruction resulted in its local name “Didang” being retired.