Typhoon Forrest (1983)

Super Typhoon Forrest (Ising)

Typhoon (JMA scale)
Category 5 (Saffir–Simpson scale)
Super Typhoon Forrest near peak intensity
Formed	September 19, 1983
Dissipated	October 4, 1983
(Extratropical after September 29, 1983)
Highest winds	10-minute sustained: 205 km/h (125 mph) 1-minute sustained: 280 km/h (175 mph)
Lowest pressure	876 hPa (mbar); 25.87 inHg (Estimated as 885 mbar by the JMA)
Fatalities	21 direct, 17 missing
Areas affected	Japan
Part of the 1983 Pacific typhoon season

Super Typhoon Forrest was a powerful typhoon that affected Japan in September 1983. Typhoon Forrest formed from a tropical disturbance far from land in the western Pacific Ocean. On September 20, the system was classified as a tropical storm, and thereafter began to intensify. The next day, Forrest reached typhoon status, and the intensification process accelerated. The storm prudently strengthened on September 22, and the following morning, attained peak intensity following a pressure drop of 100 mbar (3.0 inHg) in slightly less than 24 hours. Thereafter, Forrest began to weaken slowly as it moved northwest. Approaching Japan, Super Typhoon Forrest first hit Okinawa on September 27. Nearby, a tornado hit Inza Island, destroying 26 homes and injuring 26 people. Forrest then moved north, impaling the elongated Japanese archipelago before transitioning into an extratropical cyclone on September 28. The torrential rainfall caused by the typhoon triggered deadly landslides and flooding across Japan. In all, the cyclone killed at least 21 people, left 17 listed as missing, and injured 86. Forrest flooded 46,000 homes in muddy water, over 100 dwellings were destroyed, and 2,560 people were rendered as homeless. Seven flights were called off and 27,000 people were stranded. In addition, 67 bridges and 818 roads were damaged.

Typhoon Forrest originated from an area of disturbed weather that was first noted by the Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC) around 555 km (345 mi) west of Pohnpei in mid-September. Initially, the system was not well-organized; however, it had a sufficient amount of convection. Hurricane Hunters investigated the system four times from September 17–20, though none of them were able to identify a closed atmospheric circulation. Despite this, a Tropical Cyclone Formation Alert (TCFA) was issued on September 18. This alert was issued again on September 19; meanwhile, the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) started to monitor the system. By early on September 20, the JMA upgraded the system into a tropical storm as it moved west-northwest. During the evening hours of September 20, the JTWC started issuing warnings on the system after the low developed a central dense overcast. At this time, the storm was located about 330 km (205 mi) south of Guam. Initially, only gradually strengthening was expected by the JTWC, but this did not occur and by the morning hours of September 21, Hurricane Hunters measured winds of 95 to 115 km/h (60 to 70 mph). Based on this, the JTWC classified the system as a tropical storm and named it Forrest. Around this time, JMA upgraded Forrest into a severe tropical storm.