Tropical Storm Kaemi (2000)
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Tropical Storm Kaemi was a weak tropical storm which affected Vietnam and Thailand during late August 2000. The nineteenth depression and eleventh tropical storm of the
2000 Pacific typhoon season The 2000 Pacific typhoon season marked the first year using names contributed by the World Meteorological Organization. It was a rather below-average season, producing a total of 23 tropical storms, 13 typhoons and 4 intense typhoons. The season ...
, Kaemi originated from an area of convection offshore Vietnam. Somewhat favorable environmental conditions allowed the low-pressure area to strengthen, becoming a tropical depression on August 19. Further development occurred, and on August 21, the system peaked as a minimal tropical storm, being named Kaemi. Retaining its intensity, Kaemi made landfall over Da Nang, Vietnam that same day, weakening rapidly soon after. Becoming a tropical depression on August 23, Kaemi dissipated over Thailand on August 24. The passage of Kaemi in Vietnam brought heavy rainfall, with Da Nang receiving over of rainfall, significantly above their monthly averages. Five people drowned when sightseeing boats capsized in Hạ Long Bay, while several others died due to a collapsed home and floodwaters in Quảng Ngãi. In total, Kaemi resulted in seventeen fatalities and $7.14 million in damages in Vietnam. The storm's remnants also caused severe flooding in
northeastern Thailand Northeast Thailand or Isan (Isan/, ; ; also written as Isaan, Isarn, Issarn, Issan, Esan, or Esarn; from Pāli ''isāna'' or Sanskrit ईशान्य ''īśānya'' "northeast") consists of 20 provinces in northeastern Thailand. Isan is T ...
, particularly in
Ubon Ratchathani Ubon Ratchathani (, ) is one of the four main cities in Thailand's Isan region, alongside Nakhon Ratchasima (Khorat), Udon Thani, and Khon Kaen, collectively known as the "big four of Isan." Located on the  Mun River in the southeastern Isan, ...
and
Sisaket Sisaket (, , ; Northern Khmer dialect, Northern Khmer: ) is a Thesaban#Town municipality, town municipality in Isan, northeast Thailand, incorporating Mueang Nuea and Mueang Tai Subdistricts and parts of Cham, Nong Khrok, Pho, Phon kha, and Ya P ...
provinces. Flooding associated with the storm also caused damages elsewhere in Thailand, resulting in a total of nine direct deaths and $14.4 million in damages.


Meteorological history

On August 17, an area of convection formed offshore the southeastern coast of Vietnam in association with the
monsoon trough The monsoon trough is a convergence zone between the wind patterns of the southern and northern hemispheres. It is a portion of the Intertropical Convergence Zone in the Western Pacific,Bin WangThe Asian Monsoon.Retrieved 2008-05-03. and is dep ...
, which at the time, extended from Vietnam into the Philippine Sea. This area of convection was monitored by the
Joint Typhoon Warning Center The Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC) is a joint United States Navy – United States Air Force command in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. The JTWC is responsible for the issuing of tropical cyclone warnings in the North-West Pacific Ocean, South P ...
, who first tracked the disturbance on 00:00 UTC that day. Despite initially lacking a low-level circulation and being under moderate to strong vertical
wind shear Wind shear (; also written windshear), sometimes referred to as wind gradient, is a difference in wind speed and/or direction over a relatively short distance in the atmosphere. Atmospheric wind shear is normally described as either vertical ...
, a
QuikSCAT The NASA QuikSCAT (Quick Scatterometer) was an Earth observation satellite carrying the SeaWinds scatterometer. Its primary mission was to measure the surface wind speed and direction over the ice-free global oceans via its effect on water waves. ...
pass alongside synoptic data on August 18 revealed that the disturbance had a weak and elongated circulation. Despite exhibiting characteristics of a monsoon depression, on 00:00 UTC the next day, the Joint Typhoon Warning Center issued a
Tropical Cyclone Formation Alert A Tropical Cyclone Formation Alert (TCFA) is a bulletin released by the U.S. Navy-operated Joint Typhoon Warning Center in Honolulu, Hawaii or the Fleet Weather Center in Norfolk, Virginia, warning of the possibility of a tropical cyclone formi ...
on the disturbance due to its convective organization and pressure drops. As a result, 12 hours later, the
Japan Meteorological Agency The Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA; ''気象庁, Kishō-chō'') is a division of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism dedicated to the Scientific, scientific observation and research of natural phenomena. Headquartered ...
upgraded the disturbance into a depression. Further convective organization occurred on August 20, prompting the Joint Typhoon Warning Center to issue their first warning on Tropical Depression 19W at 06:00 UTC that day. Despite that, the depression was still under moderate vertical shear, with
outflow Outflow may refer to: *Capital outflow, the capital leaving a particular economy *Bipolar outflow, in astronomy, two continuous flows of gas from the poles of a star * Outflow (hydrology), the discharge of a lake or other reservoir system *Outflow ...
only extending west and northeast of the system. Guided by a
subtropical ridge The horse latitudes are the latitudes about 30 degrees north and south of the Equator. They are characterized by sunny skies, calm winds, and very little precipitation. They are also known as subtropical ridges or highs. It is a high-pressur ...
to the north, the depression tracked northwestward, later moving more west-northwestward as it approached the coast of Vietnam. Further intensification occurred, with deep convection becoming more persistent alongside a spiral band developing west of the circulation. As a result of this, on 12:00 UTC on August 21, both the Joint Typhoon Warning Center and Japan Meteorological Agency upgraded the depression into a tropical storm, with the latter agency naming it ''Kaemi''. Peaking with 10-minute sustained winds of at that time, satellite imagery a few hours later revealed that Kaemi peaked with 1-minute sustained winds of . Moderate wind shear and its proximity to land prevented Kaemi from intensifying further, and when it made landfall near
Da Nang Da Nang or DanangSee also Danang Dragons (, ) is the fifth-largest city in Vietnam by municipal population. It lies on the coast of the Western Pacific Ocean of Vietnam at the mouth of the Hàn River, and is one of Vietnam's most important p ...
,
Vietnam Vietnam, officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam (SRV), is a country at the eastern edge of mainland Southeast Asia, with an area of about and a population of over 100 million, making it the world's List of countries and depende ...
on 06:00 UTC on August 22, Kaemi's center was partially-exposed and sheared. Rapidly weakening once inland, the Joint Typhoon Warning Center issued their final warning on Kaemi at 00:00 UTC the next day, just north of the
Bolaven Plateau The Bolaven Plateau is an elevated region in southern Laos. Most of the plateau is located within Champasak Province of Laos, though the edges of the plateau are also located in Salavan, Sekong and Attapeu Provinces. It is located between ...
in
Laos Laos, officially the Lao People's Democratic Republic (LPDR), is the only landlocked country in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by Myanmar and China to the northwest, Vietnam to the east, Cambodia to the southeast, and Thailand to the west and ...
. The JMA kept tracking Kaemi as a depression until it dissipated on 00:00 UTC on August 24.


Preparations and impacts

The passage of Kaemi in Vietnam brought heavy rains to the nation, with Da Nang reporting and
Huế Huế (formerly Thừa Thiên Huế province) is the southernmost coastal Municipalities of Vietnam, city in the North Central Coast region, the Central Vietnam, Central of Vietnam, approximately in the center of the country. It borders Quảng ...
reporting of rainfall from the nation, more than half the monthly rainfall averages for both cities. Five people drowned when their sight-seeing boats capsized in
Hạ Long Bay Hạ Long Bay or Halong Bay (, ) is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and popular travel destination in Quảng Ninh province, Vietnam. The name Hạ Long means "descending dragon". Administratively, the bay belongs to Hạ Long city, Cẩm Phả c ...
due to a whirlwind.
Quảng Ngãi province Quảng Ngãi is a northern coastal Provinces of Vietnam, province in the South Central Coast region, the Central Vietnam, Central of Vietnam. It borders Quảng Nam to the north, Bình Định to the south, Kon Tum province, Kon Tum to the ...
, one person was killed when their home collapsed, with another two dying when they were washed away by floodwaters. Elsewhere, in Thừa Thiên Huế province, a person was killed when they were struck by lightning while another was reported missing due to flooding. In the city of
Da Nang Da Nang or DanangSee also Danang Dragons (, ) is the fifth-largest city in Vietnam by municipal population. It lies on the coast of the Western Pacific Ocean of Vietnam at the mouth of the Hàn River, and is one of Vietnam's most important p ...
, a man was electrocuted by a fallen utility pole. In total, Kaemi killed seventeen people, injured an additional four and caused US$7.14 million damage in Vietnam. Elsewhere, the remnants of Kaemi caused flash floods in
northeastern Thailand Northeast Thailand or Isan (Isan/, ; ; also written as Isaan, Isarn, Issarn, Issan, Esan, or Esarn; from Pāli ''isāna'' or Sanskrit ईशान्य ''īśānya'' "northeast") consists of 20 provinces in northeastern Thailand. Isan is T ...
.
Ubon Ratchathani Ubon Ratchathani (, ) is one of the four main cities in Thailand's Isan region, alongside Nakhon Ratchasima (Khorat), Udon Thani, and Khon Kaen, collectively known as the "big four of Isan." Located on the  Mun River in the southeastern Isan, ...
and
Sisaket Sisaket (, , ; Northern Khmer dialect, Northern Khmer: ) is a Thesaban#Town municipality, town municipality in Isan, northeast Thailand, incorporating Mueang Nuea and Mueang Tai Subdistricts and parts of Cham, Nong Khrok, Pho, Phon kha, and Ya P ...
provinces were the worst affected, while flooding associated with the storm also caused damages in other regions, affecting 24 of Thailand's 76 provinces. In total, the storm affected 304,273 households and caused 9 direct deaths in Thailand. Outbreaks of
leptospirosis Leptospirosis is a blood infection caused by the bacterium ''Leptospira'' that can infect humans, dogs, rodents and many other wild and domesticated animals. Signs and symptoms can range from none to mild (headaches, Myalgia, muscle pains, a ...
resulted in 3,240 reported patients, with 115 additional deaths from the disease. A total of of cultivated land was damaged, with total damages preliminarily reported at 605,113,012
baht The baht (; , ; currency sign, sign: ฿; ISO 4217, code: THB) is the official currency of Thailand. It is divided into 100 ''satang'' (, ). Prior to decimalisation, the baht was divided into eight ''fueang'' (, ), each of eight ''at'' (, ). The ...
($14.41 million). In the northeastern
Surin province Surin (, ; , ; ) is one of Thailand's seventy-seven Provinces of Thailand, provinces (''changwat''). It lies in Isan#Administrative divisions, lower northeastern Thailand, also called Isan. Neighboring provinces are (from west clockwise) Burira ...
, two people drowned, while in the eastern
Trat province Trat province (, ), also spelt Trad province, is one of Thailand's seventy-six provinces (''changwat''), and is located in the region of eastern Thailand. It borders Chanthaburi province to the northwest, and Cambodia's provinces of Pailin, B ...
, two others died. In the southern region, over six thousand people in Phang Nga province were affected by the floods, which peaked with of rain recorded in some places and flooded many fruit and rubber plantations. Additionally, landslides blocked roads in some places, with one in Thai Mueang district producing debris which blocked all roads in and out of a village. In
Phuket province Phuket (; , , or ''Tongkah'') is one of the Southern Thailand, southern Provinces of Thailand, provinces (''changwat'') of Thailand. It consists of the island of Phuket, List of islands of Thailand, the country's largest island, and another 3 ...
, a man drowned as he was swept away by water which was flooding a bridge on a canal.


Notes


References

{{2000 Pacific typhoon season buttons Typhoons in Vietnam Typhoons in Thailand