Tropical Storm Zelda (1991)

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Severe Tropical Storm Zelda

Severe tropical storm (JMA scale)

Category 1 typhoon (SSHWS)

Zelda near the Marshall Islands on November 29, 1991

Formed November 27, 1991

Dissipated December 7, 1991

(Extratropical after December 5, 1991)

Highest winds 10-minute sustained: 110 km/h (70 mph)

1-minute sustained: 150 km/h (90 mph)

Lowest pressure 975 hPa (mbar); 28.79 inHg

Fatalities None

Areas affected Marshall Islands, Alaska, Canada

Part of the 1991 Pacific typhoon season

Severe Tropical Storm Zelda was the last tropical cyclone of the 1991 Pacific

typhoon season and caused damage in the Marshall Islands on November 28.
The area of low pressure that eventually became Zelda formed near the International
Date Line, and strengthened into a tropical depression on November 27. The Joint
Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC) reported that the depression had reached tropical
storm intensity near the Marshall Islands on November 28, thus naming it Zelda. On
November 29, the storm quickly strengthened to 65 knots (120 km/h; 75 mph)
according to the JTWC, equivalent to a Category 1 typhoon on the Saffir–Simpson
hurricane wind scale. It reached a peak of 80 kn (150 km/h; 90 mph) according to the
JTWC, and 60 kn (110 km/h; 70 mph) according to the Japanese Meteorological
Agency (JMA), with a barometric pressure of 975 hectopascals (28.8 inHg). Zelda
weakened into a tropical storm on December 2, and then a tropical depression two
days later. The JTWC discontinued warnings late on December 4, while the JMA
declared the storm to be extratropical the next day and continued to track until it
crossed the International Date Line again on December 7.
Zelda caused significant damage in the Marshall Islands, and operations
at Kwajalein Missile Range were disrupted severely. No deaths or injuries were
reported. About 60 percent of homes were destroyed in Ebeye Island, leaving
6,000 people without residence. Nearly all crops on the islands were destroyed, and
food and other supplies were contaminated by salt. Later in December, the president
of the United States, George H. W. Bush declared the storm to be a major disaster,
allowing the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to assist with funding
and repairs. The Marshall Islands also requested funds from other countries.

Contents

 1Meteorological history
 2Impact and aftermath
 3See also
 4Notes
 5References
 6External links

Meteorological history[edit]
Map plotting the storm's track and intensity, according to the Saffir–Simpson scale
show
Map key

Westerly winds near the equator – associated with an ongoing El Niño event –

assisted in spawning a weak area of low pressure in late November 1991 near
the International Date Line. The JTWC began tracking the area on the Significant
Tropical Weather Advisory at 06:00 UTC on November 25. Vertical wind
shear prevented strengthening at first, but the disturbance continued to develop.
A tropical cyclone formation alert from the Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC)
soon followed.[1] The Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) started tracking the
disturbance at 06:00 UTC on November 27,[2][nb 1] and the JTWC issued their first
warning 18 hours later on the depression, naming it 31W. The depression quickly
intensified, and it was designated a tropical storm at 00:00 UTC on November 28 by
the JTWC, with winds of 35 knots (65 km/h; 40 mph).[nb 2] Operationally, the storm was
upgraded twenty-four hours later and given the name Zelda, after Kwajalein received
stronger winds than expected. The JTWC attributed the delay to the small size of the
storm, the poorly organized outflow, and the lack of visible and infrared image pairs
for analysis.[1] The JMA upgraded the storm at 03:00 UTC on November 29,[2] then to
a severe tropical storm eighteen hours later.[2] The JTWC reported that Zelda
intensified into a typhoon at 12:00 UTC near the Marshall Islands, with winds of
65 kn (120 km/h; 75 mph), equivalent to a Category 1 on the Saffir–Simpson
hurricane wind scale.[1] At that time, the JMA kept it as a tropical storm with winds of
45 kn (85 km/h; 50 mph), with a pressure reading of 990 hectopascals (29 inHg).[2]
Around 06:00 UTC on November 30, the JMA estimated Zelda had reached its peak
at 60 kn (110 km/h; 70 mph), with a barometric pressure of 975 hPa (28.8 inHg).[2] Six
hours later, the JTWC reported the storm had strengthened to maximum sustained
winds of 80 kn (150 km/h; 90 mph), west of Enewetak. Later, a trough created
by Typhoon Yuri caused the subtropical ridge to weaken, allowing Zelda to move
northward.[1] By December 1, the storm began to weaken and turned northeast. On
December 2, the JMA reported the storm's winds had decreased to 50 kn (95 km/h;
60 mph).[2] The JTWC reported the storm weakened below typhoon strength on
18:00 UTC of the same day, with winds of 60 kn (110 km/h; 70 mph).[5] Upper-level
winds and westerlies soon increased,[1][6] and Zelda's central convection became
sheared.[1] The JMA downgraded Zelda to a tropical storm on December 3, and to a
tropical depression later that day.[2] A few hours later, the JTWC downgraded the
storm to a tropical depression, as it unexpectedly turned to the northwest. [5] The low-
level circulation of the storm detached from the cold front, and the JTWC issued the
last warning of the year.[1] The depression turned back northeast, the JMA declared
the storm to be extratropical on December 5, and the agency stopped tracking it just
past the International Date Line on December 7. [2][7] Remnants of the storm moved
inland into northern British Columbia by December 8.[8]

Impact and aftermath[edit]

Zelda was the first of three storms to strike the Marshall Islands within one year, just
before Axel and Gay in 1992.[9] The storm affected Marshall Islands on November 28,
producing sustained winds ranging from 120–160 km/h (75–100 mph). The storm
impacted islands of Kwajalein, Majuro, Lae, Wotho, and Eniwetok.[10] Kwajalein
Missile Range, which was used in Strategic Defense Initiative testing,[11] caught
stronger winds than expected from the storm, affecting operations at the missile
range.[1] A pressure of 990.1 hPa (29.24 inHg) was recorded on Kwajalein, which was
the lowest pressure recorded on the atoll at that time. [12] On Ebeye Island, 60 percent
of homes made of plywood and sheet-iron roofs were destroyed by the storm, [1][10] and
6,000 people were left homeless. Food and water supplies were contaminated from
salt in storm surge, and the water desalination plant became inoperable. [10] Power
lines were cut across the island. There were no deaths or significant injuries. Other
islands in the nation had their water contaminated by saltwater, and 95 percent of
the crops were destroyed by the storm surge.[10] Coral reefs were also heavily
damaged when the storm came nearby.[13] As an extratropical cyclone, Zelda bought
heavy rain and 110 km/h (70 mph) winds to Southeast Alaska.[14] Heavy snow was
reported in northern British Columbia, and lesser amounts inland British Columbia
and southern Yukon.[8]
The United States Army engaged in clean up and repairing in the country. On
December 6, the 834th Airlift Division sent six C-130s to Kwajalein with supplies.
[15]
 On the same day, President of the United States George H. W. Bush, through
the Compact of Free Association,[10] declared a major disaster in the Marshall Islands,
[16]
 allowing federal funding to be sent to the Arno, Aur, Kwajalein,
Lae, Lib, Namu and Ujae islands.[17][18] United States Senator Daniel Akaka visited
Ebeye after the storm, and he criticized the response of the Federal Emergency
Management Agency (FEMA), as the funding did not cover repairing of structures
regarded as substandard.[19] The Government of the Marshall Islands requested for
aid via United Nations Disaster Relief Organization (UNDRO) on December 18.[10] By
December 19, 1,380 people were still living in temporary shelters. [19]
By March 26, 1992, about $98,000 (1992 USD, equivalent to $189,237 in 2021)
worth of relief goods were sent to the Marshall Islands from UNDRO, United Nations
Development Programme (UNDP), and Government of Australia. FEMA sent
$1.518 million (1992 USD, equivalent to $2,931,248 in 2021) to affected families.
[10]
 Critical infrastructure in Ebeye were repaired by the Kwajalein Atoll Development
Authority by November 1992.[20]

See also[edit]
 Tropical cyclones portal
  Other tropical cyclones named Zelda

Notes[edit]
1. ^ The Japan Meteorological Agency is the official Regional
Specialized Meteorological Center for the western Pacific Ocean.[3]
2. ^ Wind estimates from the JMA and most other basins throughout
the world are sustained over 10–minutes, while estimates from the
United States-based Joint Typhoon Warning Center are sustained
over 1–minute. Sustained 1–minute winds are about 1.14 times
the amount of 10 minute winds.[4]

References[edit]
1. ^ Jump up to:a b c d e f g h i Mundell, Dan B.; Wells, Frank H.;
McDonald, Brian L.; Delanuez, Carlos A.; Belew, Ray O.
(1991). 1991 Annual Tropical Cyclone Report (PDF) (Report). Joint
Typhoon Warning Center. pp. 146–149. Archived (PDF) from the
original on December 6, 2013. Retrieved May 18, 2014.
2. ^ Jump up to:a b c d e f g h "RSMC Best Track Data (Text)". Japan
Meteorological Agency. 1990–1999. Archived from the original on
January 22, 2013. Retrieved May 28, 2014.
3. ^ Annual Report on Activities of the RSMC Tokyo – Typhoon
Center 2000 (PDF) (Report). Japan Meteorological Agency.
February 2001. p. 3. Archived (PDF) from the original on October
31, 2015. Retrieved June 1, 2014.
4. ^ Landsea, Chris (April 21, 2006). "Subject: D4) What does
"maximum sustained wind" mean? How does it relate to gusts in
tropical cyclones?". Frequently Asked Questions. Atlantic
Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory. Archived from the
original on March 3, 2016. Retrieved May 29, 2014.
5. ^ Jump up to:a b "Typhoon Zelda (31W) Best Track". Joint Typhoon
Warning Center. Archived from the original on October 10, 2012.
Retrieved May 31, 2014.
6. ^ Darwin Regional Specialised Meteorological Centre (December
1991). "Typhoon Zelda" (PDF). Darwin Tropical Diagnostic
Statement. Australian Bureau of Meteorology. 10 (12):
2. Archived (PDF) from the original on March 4, 2016.
Retrieved March 22, 2020.
7. ^ Knapp, Kenneth R.; Diamond, Howard J.; Kossin, James P.;
Kruk, Michael C.; Schreck, Carl J. III (2018). 1991 Typhoon
ZELDA (1991329N04181). International Best Track Archive for
Climate Stewardship (IBTrACS) Project, Version 4. (Report).
NOAA National Centers for Environmental
Information. doi:10.25921/82ty-9e16. Retrieved April 18, 2020 –
via University of North Carolina at Asheville.
8. ^ Jump up to:a b "Weather". Whitehorse Daily Star. Whitehorse,
Yukon. December 10, 1991. p. 3. Retrieved March 23, 2020 – via
Newspapers.com. 
9. ^ "Country Risk Profile: Marshall Islands" (PDF). World Bank.
September 2011. p. 3. Archived (PDF) from the original on March
22, 2020. Retrieved March 22, 2020.
10. ^ Jump up to:a b c d e f g Marshall Islands - Typhoon Zelda Dec 1991
UNDRO Situation Reports 1-3 (Report). United Nations
Department of Humanitarian Affairs. December 6,
1991. Archived from the original on June 1, 2014.
Retrieved January 8, 2014 – via ReliefWeb.
11. ^ TenBruggencate, Jan (November 27, 1991). Written at Lihue,
Hawaii. "Full study on STARS impact due". The Honolulu
 Advertiser. Honolulu, Hawaii. Advertiser Kauai Bureau. p. 47.
Retrieved March 22, 2020 – via Newspapers.com. 
12. ^ "Pacific ENSO Update: 2nd Quarter 2015" (PDF). Pacific ENSO
Update. United States Pacific El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO)
Applications Climate Center. 21 (2): 11. May 29,
2015. Archived (PDF) from the original on March 4, 2016.
13. ^ Birkeland, Charles; Edward, Ahser; Golbuu, Yimnang; Gutierrez,
Jay; Idechong, Noah; Maragos, James; Paulay, Gustav;
Richmond, Robert; Tafileichig, Andrew; Velde, Nancy
Vander. Status of the Coral Reefs in the Pacific Freely Associated
States (PDF) (Report). National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration. p. 209. Archived (PDF) from the original on
February 16, 2013. Retrieved May 24, 2014.
14. ^ "Alaska Summary". Daily Sitka Sentinel. Sitka, Alaska.
December 9, 1991. p. 2. Retrieved March 23, 2020 – via
Newspapers.com. 
15. ^ Fredriksen, John C. (2011). The United States Air Force: a
chronology. Santa Barbara, California: ABC-CLIO.
p. 294. ISBN 978-1598846829. OCLC 720622621. Archived from
the original on October 13, 2016. Retrieved April 12, 2020.
16. ^ "Declaration Allows Typhoon Disaster Assistance". Associated
Press. Washington, District of Columbia. December 9, 1991.
Retrieved April 12, 2020.
17. ^ "Republic of the Marshall Islands Typhoon Zelda (DR-
925)". Federal Emergency Management Agency. Archived from
the original on May 26, 2014. Retrieved May 26, 2014.
18. ^ "Designated Areas: Republic of Marshall Islands Typhoon
Zelda". Federal Emergency Management Agency. Archived from
the original on June 1, 2014. Retrieved May 26, 2014.
19. ^ Jump up to:a b Written at Majuro, Marshall Islands. "Akaka critical
of aid to the Marshall Isles". Hawaii Tribune-Herald. Hilo, Hawaii.
p. 2. Retrieved April 22, 2020 – via Newspapers.com. 
20. ^ Polhemus, David (November 22, 1992). "Oily Soil: Slick solution
or a dirty deal?". The Honolulu Advertiser. Honolulu, Hawaii. p. 2.
Retrieved March 23, 2020 – via Newspapers.com. 

External links[edit]
 Digital Typhoon: Typhoon 199129 (ZELDA)
 Pictures of damage in Kwajalein
show
 v

 t

 e
Tropical cyclones of the 1991 Pacific typhoon season

Authority control: National

United States
libraries 
Categories: 
 1991 Pacific typhoon season
 Western Pacific severe tropical storms
 Typhoons in the Marshall Islands
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