&sq=&lang=&file=File:PamelaMay201976.gif) Image of Pamela near Guam | |
| Meteorological history | |
|---|---|
| Formed | May 14, 1976 |
| Extratropical | May 27, 1976 |
| Dissipated | June 1, 1976 |
| Typhoon | |
| 10-minute sustained (JMA) | |
| Lowest pressure | 920 hPa (mbar); 27.17 inHg |
| Category 4-equivalent super typhoon | |
| 1-minute sustained (SSHWS/JTWC) | |
| Highest winds | 240 km/h (150 mph) |
| Overall effects | |
| Fatalities | 11 |
| Damage | $500 million (1976 USD) |
| Areas affected | Caroline Islands, Chuuk, Guam, Saipan, Iwo Jima |
| IBTrACS | |
Part of the 1976 Pacific typhoon season | |
Typhoon Pamela was a powerful typhoon that struck the U.S. territory of Guam in May 1976, causing about $500 million in damage (USD). The sixth named storm and third typhoon of the 1976 Pacific typhoon season, Pamela developed on May 14 from a trough in the Federated States of Micronesia in the area of the Nomoi Islands. It executed a counterclockwise loop and slowly intensified, bringing heavy rains to the islands in the region. Ten people died on Chuuk due to a landslide. After beginning a steady northwest motion toward Guam, Pamela attained its peak winds of 240 km/h (150 mph).
On May 21, the large eye of the typhoon crossed Guam, producing typhoon-force winds (greater than 118 km/h or 73 mph) for a period of 18 hours. An estimated 80% of the buildings on the island were damaged to some degree, including 3,300 houses that were destroyed. Pamela's slow motion produced 856 mm (33.7 in) of rainfall, making May 1976 the wettest month on record in Guam. Despite the high damage, well-executed warnings kept the death toll to only one. After affecting the island, the typhoon weakened and turned northeastward, passing near Iwo Jima before becoming an extratropical cyclone.