Typhoon Saomai
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Typhoon Saomai, known in the Philippines as Super Typhoon Juan, was considered the most powerful
typhoon A typhoon is a tropical cyclone that develops between 180° and 100°E in the Northern Hemisphere and which produces sustained hurricane-force winds of at least . This region is referred to as the Northwestern Pacific Basin, accounting for a ...
on record to strike the mainland coast of the People's Republic of China. It was the eighth tropical storm, fifth typhoon, and third super typhoon of the
2006 Pacific typhoon season The 2006 Pacific typhoon season was a destructive and deadly season, although it was near-average in terms of activity with a total of 23 named storms, 15 typhoons, and six super typhoons. Compared to the previous season, more typhoons inflict ...
recognized 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 ...
. According to 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 ...
, Saomai was the seventh tropical storm and fifth typhoon of the season. The name "Saomai" was submitted by
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 ...
, and is from the
Vietnamese Vietnamese may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to Vietnam, a country in Southeast Asia * Vietnamese people, or Kinh people, a Southeast Asian ethnic group native to Vietnam ** Overseas Vietnamese, Vietnamese people living outside Vietna ...
word for "morning star" (''sao Mai''), a reference to the planet
Venus Venus is the second planet from the Sun. It is often called Earth's "twin" or "sister" planet for having almost the same size and mass, and the closest orbit to Earth's. While both are rocky planets, Venus has an atmosphere much thicker ...
. The typhoon brought heavy rain and wind to areas of the
Mariana Islands The Mariana Islands ( ; ), also simply the Marianas, are a crescent-shaped archipelago comprising the summits of fifteen longitudinally oriented, mostly dormant volcanic mountains in the northwestern Pacific Ocean, between the 12th and 21st pa ...
, the
Philippines The Philippines, officially the Republic of the Philippines, is an Archipelagic state, archipelagic country in Southeast Asia. Located in the western Pacific Ocean, it consists of List of islands of the Philippines, 7,641 islands, with a tot ...
, Taiwan, and the east coast of China during early August. It was responsible for 456 deaths and $2.5 billion (2006 USD) in damage. Saomai affected many of the same areas affected by Tropical Storm Bilis a month earlier, and the
China Meteorological Administration The China Meteorological Administration (CMA) is the national weather service of the People's Republic of China. The institution is located in Beijing. History The agency was originally established in December 1949 as the Central Military Comm ...
reported that Saomai was the strongest typhoon that ever occurred over China's offshore region as well as the most powerful typhoon ever to make landfall over Mainland China.


Meteorological history

A tropical disturbance formed east of Chuuk on July 31 and gradually increased in organization over the next several days as it moved northwestward. 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 ...
(JTWC) 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 system on August 4 and it was designated a tropical depression by both the JTWC and 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 ...
(JMA) later that day. The depression strengthened into a tropical storm on August 5, and the JMA designated it Tropical Storm Saomai. Saomai continued moving toward the northwest and passed over the Mariana Islands on August 6 while continuing to strengthen, and was upgraded to a severe tropical storm by the JMA later that day. The storm then began organizing and intensifying more rapidly, becoming a typhoon early on August 7. Saomai moved into the area of responsibility of
PAGASA The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (, abbreviated as PAGASA , which means "hope" as in the Tagalog language, Tagalog word ''pag-asa'') is the National Meteorological and Hydrological Services (NMHS ...
on August 8, and was designated Typhoon Juan. Due to Saomai's proximity to Tropical Storm Bopha, located near
Taiwan Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia. The main geography of Taiwan, island of Taiwan, also known as ''Formosa'', lies between the East China Sea, East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocea ...
, the two underwent a
Fujiwhara interaction The Fujiwhara effect, sometimes referred to as the Fujiwara effect, Fujiwara interaction or binary interaction, is a phenomenon that occurs when two nearby cyclonic vortices move around each other and close the distance between the circulations o ...
. This interaction served to shift Saomai's track slightly to the south and provided the system with in influx of moisture via southwesterly monsoonal flow on the backside of Bopha. Late on August 9, Saomai reached its peak intensity as it moved just north of
Miyakojima is the largest and the most populous island among the Miyako Islands of Okinawa Prefecture, Japan. Miyako Island is administered as part of the City of Miyako Island, which includes not only Miyako Island, but also five other islands. Geogr ...
. The JMA estimated it to have attained winds of and a central pressure of 925 mbar (hPa; ). The JTWC estimated Saomai to have been a much more powerful system, ranking it as a Category 5-equivalent super typhoon with one-minute winds of and a pressure of 898 mbar (hPa; ). Further, though less significant, discrepancies on the peak intensity of Saomai exist between the local warning centers for China. Both the
China Meteorological Administration The China Meteorological Administration (CMA) is the national weather service of the People's Republic of China. The institution is located in Beijing. History The agency was originally established in December 1949 as the Central Military Comm ...
(CMA) and
Hong Kong Observatory The Hong Kong Observatory is a weather forecast agency of the government of Hong Kong. The Observatory forecasts the weather and issues warnings on weather-related hazards. It also monitors and makes assessments on radiation levels in Hong ...
(HKO) estimated the typhoon to have been slightly stronger, stating peak ten-minute sustained winds of , respectively. Similarly the agencies reported lower pressures: 915 mbar (hPa; ) by the CMA and 920 mbar (hPa; 27.17 inHG) by the HKO. After passing to the south of
Okinawa most commonly refers to: * Okinawa Prefecture, Japan's southernmost prefecture * Okinawa Island, the largest island of Okinawa Prefecture * Okinawa Islands, an island group including Okinawa itself * Okinawa (city), the second largest city in th ...
, Saomai turned westward and brushed the northern coast of
Taiwan Island Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia. The island of Taiwan, formerly known to Westerners as Formosa, has an area of and makes up 99% of the land under ROC control. It lies about across the Taiwan Strait ...
early on August 10. The typhoon maintained its minimum pressure until it approached within of the eastern China coast. On August 10, Typhoon Saomai made
landfall Landfall is the event of a storm moving over land after being over water. More broadly, and in relation to human travel, it refers to 'the first land that is reached or seen at the end of a journey across the sea or through the air, or the fact ...
at
Cangnan County Cangnan County ( ) is a county in the prefecture-level city of Wenzhou in southern Zhejiang, China. The county government is in Lingxi. Cangnan has 20 towns, 14 townships, and two nationality townships. Cangnan and Taishun are a part of the Min ...
in southern
Zhejiang ) , translit_lang1_type2 = , translit_lang1_info2 = ( Hangzhounese) ( Ningbonese) (Wenzhounese) , image_skyline = 玉甑峰全貌 - panoramio.jpg , image_caption = View of the Yandang Mountains , image_map = Zhejiang i ...
, still maintaining a small and clear eye. According to the CMA, the typhoon moved ashore with maximum sustained winds of , and a central pressure of . By winds, Saomai tied Typhoon Marge in 1973 for the strongest typhoon to strike mainland China; because Saomai had a lower landfall pressure than Marge, the CMA considered it the strongest typhoon on record to strike the nation, as well as a 1 in 100 year typhoon. Saomai was therefore the strongest typhoon to strike Zhejiang, surpassing the previous record held by typhoons Rananim in 2004 and Typhoon Khanun in 2005. However, wind estimates for typhoons could be inaccurate for early typhoons. Gradual weakening ensued as Saomai moved further inland, and it weakened into a tropical depression on August 11, dissipating later that day.


Preparations

The United States
National Weather Service The National Weather Service (NWS) is an Government agency, agency of the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government that is tasked with providing weather forecasts, warnings of hazardous weather, and other weathe ...
issued a
tropical storm warning Tropical cyclone warnings and watches are alerts issued by national weather forecasting bodies to coastal areas threatened by the imminent approach of a tropical cyclone of tropical storm or hurricane intensity. They are notices to the local pop ...
for Guam as Tropical Storm Saomai approached the island on August 6. Military bases in northern Guam entered Tropical Cyclone Condition of Readiness 1, meaning that winds of 50
knot A knot is an intentional complication in Rope, cordage which may be practical or decorative, or both. Practical knots are classified by function, including List of hitch knots, hitches, List of bend knots, bends, List of loop knots, loop knots, ...
s or higher were expected within 12 hours. The rest of the island was placed under Condition of Readiness 2, meaning that such winds were possible within 24 hours. Several bases were temporarily closed. The
Central Weather Bureau The Central Weather Administration (CWA; ) is the government meteorological research and forecasting institution of Taiwan (the Republic of China). In addition to meteorology, the Central Weather Administration also makes astronomical observation ...
of the
Republic of China Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia. The main geography of Taiwan, island of Taiwan, also known as ''Formosa'', lies between the East China Sea, East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocea ...
issued land and marine typhoon warnings for areas of northern Taiwan in anticipation of Saomai's outer bands. The warnings had been upgraded from lesser warnings issued for Tropical Storm Bopha, which made landfall in southern Taiwan the day before. Five flights in and around Taiwan were canceled, as was ferry service. Hundreds of flights from Okinawa to the rest of Japan were also canceled. In China, 1,001,000 people in
Zhejiang ) , translit_lang1_type2 = , translit_lang1_info2 = ( Hangzhounese) ( Ningbonese) (Wenzhounese) , image_skyline = 玉甑峰全貌 - panoramio.jpg , image_caption = View of the Yandang Mountains , image_map = Zhejiang i ...
and 710,000 people in
Fujian Fujian is a provinces of China, province in East China, southeastern China. Fujian is bordered by Zhejiang to the north, Jiangxi to the west, Guangdong to the south, and the Taiwan Strait to the east. Its capital is Fuzhou and its largest prefe ...
were evacuated to shelters prior to Saomai's landfall. Over 20,000 soldiers and police were mobilized to aid in cleanup and rescue efforts. Officials ordered 10,286 ships with 35,282 fishermen to return to port in Fujian, while another 5,638 ships returned to port in Zhejiang. Also in Fujian, all 26,800 schools were closed. The
Wenzhou Wenzhou; Chinese postal romanization, historically known as Wenchow is a prefecture-level city in China's Zhejiang province. Wenzhou is located at the extreme southeast of Zhejiang, bordering Lishui, Zhejiang, Lishui to the west, Taizhou, Zheji ...
city government ordered all businesses to close and prepare for the storm. Airlines canceled 25 flights from
Fuzhou Changle International Airport Fuzhou Changle International Airport is an international airport serving Fuzhou, the capital of East China’s Fujian province. It was inaugurated on 23 June 1997 after being approved to start construction by the state council in 1992. ...
and another 17 from Hong Kong, while ferry service was also disrupted. During the storm, the
Wenzhou Longwan International Airport Wenzhou Longwan International Airport is an airport serving the city of Wenzhou in East China’s Zhejiang province. Formerly called Wenzhou Yongqiang Airport, it adopted its current name on 25 April 2013. The airport is located southeast ...
closed, stranding hundreds of travelers.


Impact

During the overnight hours of August 5–6, Tropical Storm Saomai moved through the southern Mariana Islands with its center passing halfway between
Guam Guam ( ; ) is an island that is an Territories of the United States, organized, unincorporated territory of the United States in the Micronesia subregion of the western Pacific Ocean. Guam's capital is Hagåtña, Guam, Hagåtña, and the most ...
and Rota. Owing to the storm's relatively quick pace, its effects were limited in duration. Rota received the strongest winds, with gusts peaking at at the
International Airport An international airport is an airport with customs and border control facilities enabling passengers to travel between countries. International airports are usually larger than domestic airports, and feature longer runways and have faciliti ...
while sustained values reached . Lesser winds occurred on Guam, with a peak gust of measured at
Andersen Air Force Base Andersen Air Force Base (Andersen AFB, AAFB) is a United States Air Force base located primarily within the village of Yigo in the United States territory of Guam. The host unit at Andersen AFB is the 36th Wing (36 WG), assigned to the Pacif ...
. Enhanced winds extended northward to
Tinian Tinian () is one of the three principal islands of the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI). Together with uninhabited neighboring Aguiguan, it forms Tinian Municipality, one of the four constituent municipalities of the Northern ...
and
Saipan Saipan () is the largest island and capital of the Northern Mariana Islands, an unincorporated Territories of the United States, territory of the United States in the western Pacific Ocean. According to 2020 estimates by the United States Cens ...
. Light to moderate rains accompanied the storm and accumulations were generally less than ; however, monsoonal flow along the south side of Saomai enhanced totals over Guam where fell. Only minor damage resulted from the storm's passage, limited to downed trees and power lines on Guam. Brief electrical outages occurred in
Barrigada Barrigada () is a village in the United States territory of Guam. A largely residential municipality, its main village is located south of the Antonio B. Won Pat International Airport near the intersections of Routes 8, 10, and 16. The communi ...
and Chalan Pago. Overall, damage in the region was estimated at $5,000. Later, as with Tropical Storm Bilis a month earlier, Saomai's outer rainbands affected areas of the Philippines. Over 400 homes were destroyed by
storm surge A storm surge, storm flood, tidal surge, or storm tide is a coastal flood or tsunami-like phenomenon of rising water commonly associated with low-pressure weather systems, such as cyclones. It is measured as the rise in water level above the ...
, and two people were killed. At least seven people were reported missing. The core of the typhoon passed to the north of Taiwan, but the island still experienced heavy rain and wind that disrupted traffic and cancelled flights to and from
Taipei , nickname = The City of Azaleas , image_map = , map_caption = , pushpin_map = Taiwan#Asia#Pacific Ocean#Earth , coordinates = , subdivision_type = Country ...
. No serious damage or casualties were reported. While in the vicinity of Okinawa, Saomai brushed the southern
Ryukyu Islands The , also known as the or the , are a chain of Japanese islands that stretch southwest from Kyushu to Geography of Taiwan, Taiwan: the Ryukyu Islands are divided into the Satsunan Islands (Ōsumi Islands, Ōsumi, Tokara Islands, Tokara and A ...
. Miyakojima reported the heaviest rainfall in Japan, totaling . Wind gusts in the region peaked at at
Shimoji-shima , ( Miyako: ''Sïmuzï'') is one of the Miyako Islands, a part of the Ryukyu Islands. The island is administered by Miyakojima, Okinawa Prefecture, Japan. The island is connected to Irabu Island via . Shimoji-shima is included within the Irabu ...
. Waves of in height were reported at Miyakojima, which caused ¥980,000 (
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, $8,500
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) in road damage.


Mainland China

Saomai was the third in a series of deadly storms that struck China in the summer of 2006, after Tropical Storm Bilis in July killed over 600 people and Typhoon Prapiroon killed around 80 people in early August. It was also the sixth tropical cyclone of the year to strike the country. While moving ashore in
Zhejiang ) , translit_lang1_type2 = , translit_lang1_info2 = ( Hangzhounese) ( Ningbonese) (Wenzhounese) , image_skyline = 玉甑峰全貌 - panoramio.jpg , image_caption = View of the Yandang Mountains , image_map = Zhejiang i ...
province, Saomai produced high waves, gusty winds, and heavy rainfall.
Cangnan County Cangnan County ( ) is a county in the prefecture-level city of Wenzhou in southern Zhejiang, China. The county government is in Lingxi. Cangnan has 20 towns, 14 townships, and two nationality townships. Cangnan and Taishun are a part of the Min ...
in
Wenzhou Wenzhou; Chinese postal romanization, historically known as Wenchow is a prefecture-level city in China's Zhejiang province. Wenzhou is located at the extreme southeast of Zhejiang, bordering Lishui, Zhejiang, Lishui to the west, Taizhou, Zheji ...
reported of precipitation in only one hour, and over 12 hours. Rainfall reached in the inland province of
Jiangxi ; Gan: ) , translit_lang1_type2 = , translit_lang1_info2 = , translit_lang1_type3 = , translit_lang1_info3 = , image_map = Jiangxi in China (+all claims hatched).svg , mapsize = 275px , map_caption = Location ...
, with recorded in one hour in
Linchuan District Linchuan District () is one of two built-up areas (districts) of the city of Fuzhou, Jiangxi province, People's Republic of China. Before A.D. 762, the administration region located in Chi gang; since then, the administration region moved to weste ...
. The storm broke several wind records in eastern China. A station in Cangnan County reported peak winds of , and a station in Fuding reported winds of , which were the strongest winds on record in Zhejiang and Fujian, respectively. The latter value was slightly less than the wind report in Hong Kong during Typhoon Wanda in 1962. Fuding city reported gusts of over for about three hours, and widespread areas in Zhejiang and Fujian reported typhoon force winds, with a diameter of winds. Along its path, Saomai destroyed about 54,000 buildings while causing widespread power outages. There were 61,277 destroyed rooms and another 371,147 that were damaged, mostly in Fujian. Most of the damaged houses along the path were generally
masonry Masonry is the craft of building a structure with brick, stone, or similar material, including mortar plastering which are often laid in, bound, and pasted together by mortar (masonry), mortar. The term ''masonry'' can also refer to the buildin ...
built, while newer towers fared better due to higher building standards. The typhoon also damaged of farmlands, mostly in Jiangxi. Saomai struck a less developed area of China, which limited insured damage to around ¥400–500 million (
RMB The renminbi ( ; symbol: ¥; ISO code: CNY; abbreviation: RMB), also known as the Chinese yuan, is the official currency of the People's Republic of China. The renminbi is issued by the People's Bank of China, the monetary authority of Chin ...
, $50.5–63 million USD). This was estimated to have been between 4–9% of the overall damage. Damage was estimated at ¥11.66 billion (RMB, $1.5 billion). Overall, Saomai killed at least 441 people, although unofficial sources suggest a death toll of around 1,000. The storm left nearly all of Zhejiang without power and cut half of all communication links. The heavy damage prompted officials to declare a state of emergency. In Wenzhou alone, over 18,000 homes were destroyed, and 3,850 factories were forced to shut down. Also in Wenzhou, Saomai left over 213,000 people without clean water. 193 people died in the city. In Cangnan County, the typhoon damaged 450 schools, totaling ¥25 million (RMB, US$3.1 million). Rainfall across the state flooded 56 provincial roads and highways. Six people died in
Lishui Lishui (; Lishuinese: ''li⁶ syu³'' ) is a prefecture-level city in the southwest of Zhejiang province, People's Republic of China. It borders Quzhou, Jinhua and Taizhou to the north, Wenzhou to the southeast, and the province of Fujian to ...
after being crushed by a landslide. Throughout Zhejiang, economic losses totaled ¥4.9 billion (RMB, $610 million), of which ¥4.5 billion (RMB, $560 million) was in Wenzhou. In Fujian, high waves in
Fuding () is a county-level city in northeastern Ningde prefecture-level city, on Fujian's border with Zhejiang province. History Fuding county was established during the Qing Dynasty in 1739 AD. On December 15, 1950, the Matsu Administrative Office ( ...
wrecked about 1,000 ships, killing hundreds of fishermen. Most of the lost ships were in the village of Shacheng, where about half of the residents were left homeless. Some entire villages in Fujian were entirely swept away by the winds and rains. High winds and rainfall destroyed 32,700 houses, including 10,000 in Fuding alone; there were also 80,000 damaged houses in the city. Economic losses reached ¥3.1 billion (RMB, US$388 million), and about 200 people died in Fuding. Also in the city, Saomai destroyed the roof tiles and the gate house of the 1,146 year old Ziguo temple, a local historical site. The monks in the temple had evacuated, and damage to the structure was estimated ¥5 million (RMB, US$625,000), rendering it largely destroyed. Damage in
Fuzhou Fuzhou is the capital of Fujian, China. The city lies between the Min River (Fujian), Min River estuary to the south and the city of Ningde to the north. Together, Fuzhou and Ningde make up the Eastern Min, Mindong linguistic and cultural regi ...
, also in Fujian, totaled ¥200 million (RMB, US$25 million). Province-wide, 234 factories or mines were forced to shut down due to the typhoon. Economic losses in Fujian totaled ¥6.4 billion (RMB, US$795 million). About a month after Typhoon Kaemi affected the region, Saomai caused additional flooding in the inland province of Jiangxi. There, the storm wrecked six reservoirs, resulting in ¥348 million (RMB, US$45 million) in damage. About 35,000 people were forced to evacuate in Jiangxi due to the storm. One person was washed away in floodwaters while inspecting damage, while another person was killed when a damaged building collapsed. In neighboring
Anhui Anhui is an inland Provinces of China, province located in East China. Its provincial capital and largest city is Hefei. The province is located across the basins of the Yangtze and Huai rivers, bordering Jiangsu and Zhejiang to the east, Jiang ...
province, flooding forced residents to evacuate homes. 87 deaths were reported in Zhejiang, mostly in
Wenzhou Wenzhou; Chinese postal romanization, historically known as Wenchow is a prefecture-level city in China's Zhejiang province. Wenzhou is located at the extreme southeast of Zhejiang, bordering Lishui, Zhejiang, Lishui to the west, Taizhou, Zheji ...
. Major highways in the province were flooded out. Most of these deaths were caused by storm surge flooding in coastal fishing communities, such as
Fuding () is a county-level city in northeastern Ningde prefecture-level city, on Fujian's border with Zhejiang province. History Fuding county was established during the Qing Dynasty in 1739 AD. On December 15, 1950, the Matsu Administrative Office ( ...
. Eight of the deaths were caused by the collapse of a damaged evacuation shelter. Strong winds and flooding destroyed 37,000 houses and flooded 380 km2 (94,000 
acre The acre ( ) is a Unit of measurement, unit of land area used in the Imperial units, British imperial and the United States customary units#Area, United States customary systems. It is traditionally defined as the area of one Chain (unit), ch ...
s) of farmland, and economic damage amounted to 6.3 billion yuan.


Aftermath

Immediately after Saomai made landfall in China, local Red Cross chapters provided residents left homeless with emergency supplies, such as blankets, clothing, medicine, and disinfectant. After the storm moved ashore, the Wenzhou government blocked street access to the areas with the heaviest damage. Officials ordered stores to cease selling items that were unrelated to storm recovery. By 11 days after landfall, 80% of the factories in Wenzhou had reopened. The city of Fuding provided ¥104.9 million (RMB, US$13.2 million) toward reconstructing, as well as ¥5,000 (RMB, US$625) for each family. The
International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) is a worldwide humanitarian aid organization that reaches 160 million people each year through its 191 member National Societies. It acts before, during and after disas ...
made an appeal for almost 6 million
Swiss franc The Swiss franc, or simply the franc, is the currency and legal tender of Switzerland and Liechtenstein. It is also legal tender in the Italian exclave of Campione d'Italia which is surrounded by Swiss territory. The Swiss National Bank (SNB) iss ...
s ($4.8 million, 2006 USD) to assist stricken families in the
PRC China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. With a population exceeding 1.4 billion, it is the second-most populous country after India, representing 17.4% of the world population. China spans the e ...
. As of August 11, 2006, about 1.8 million
Chinese yuan The renminbi ( ; currency symbol, symbol: Yen and yuan sign, ¥; ISO 4217, ISO code: CNY; abbreviation: RMB), also known as the Chinese yuan, is the official currency of the China, People's Republic of China. The renminbi is issued by the Peop ...
($220,000) worth of relief items and financial assistance had been given to the victims. The PRC government also allocated 120 million yuan ($15.2 million) for disaster relief in areas affected by Saomai and earlier storms. The funds were used to provide food and water for displaced victims and pay for the rebuilding effort in Zhejiang and Fujian.


Retirement

After the season ended, members of the 39th meeting of the Typhoon Committee of the
World Meteorological Organization The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) is a List of specialized agencies of the United Nations, specialized agency of the United Nations responsible for promoting international cooperation on atmospheric science, climatology, hydrology an ...
met in
Manila Manila, officially the City of Manila, is the Capital of the Philippines, capital and second-most populous city of the Philippines after Quezon City, with a population of 1,846,513 people in 2020. Located on the eastern shore of Manila Bay on ...
in December 2006. They discussed retiring the name "Saomai", along with four other names from the season. During the 40th meeting in November 2007, the Typhoon Committee approved the retirement, announcing that the name "Son-Tinh" would replace Saomai on the basin name lists beginning in
2008 2008 was designated as: *International Year of Languages *International Year of Planet Earth *International Year of the Potato *International Year of Sanitation The Great Recession, a worldwide recession which began in 2007, continued throu ...
and was first used in the 2012 season.


See also

*
Typhoon Rananim Typhoon Rananim, known in the Philippines as Typhoon Karen, was the strongest typhoon to make landfall on the Chinese province of Zhejiang since Typhoon Wanda in 1956. It formed on August 6, 2004, intensifying into a tropical storm on Augu ...
*
Typhoon Chan-hom (2015) Typhoon Chan-hom, known in the Philippines as Typhoon Falcon, was a large, powerful and long-lived tropical cyclone that affected most countries in the typhoon, western Pacific basin in early-July 2015. The ninth tropical cyclone naming, named ...
*
Typhoon Abe (1990) Typhoon Abe, known as Typhoon Iliang in the Philippines, was the fourteenth named storm of 1990 Pacific typhoon season. Forming on August 23 from a tropical disturbance, the depression which would eventually develop into Typhoon Abe initial ...
*
Typhoon Doksuri Typhoon Doksuri, known in the Philippines as Super Typhoon Egay, was a powerful and highly destructive tropical cyclone which became the costliest typhoon to hit China, the costliest tropical cyclone outside of the Atlantic hurricane, North Atl ...


Notes


References


External links

*RSMC Tokyo – Typhoon Center
Best Track Data
of Typhoon Saomai (0608)
Best Track Data (Graphics)
of Typhoon Saomai (0608)
JTWC Best Track Data
of Super Typhoon 08W (Saomai) {{DEFAULTSORT:Saomai (2006) Retired Pacific typhoons 2006 Pacific typhoon season Typhoons in China Typhoon Saomai Tropical cyclones in 2006