Typhoon Ivan

Typhoon Ivan (Narsing)

Typhoon (JMA scale)
Category 5 (Saffir–Simpson scale)
Typhoon Ivan near peak intensity
Formed	October 13, 1997
Dissipated	October 26, 1997
(Extratropical after October 25, 1997)
Highest winds	10-minute sustained: 195 km/h (120 mph) 1-minute sustained: 295 km/h (185 mph)
Lowest pressure	905 hPa (mbar); 26.72 inHg
Fatalities	14 direct, 2 missing
Damage	$9.6 million (1997 USD)
Areas affected	Marshall Islands, Guam and the Philippines
Part of the 1997 Pacific typhoon season

Typhoon Ivan, known in the Philippines as Typhoon Narsing, was an intense tropical cyclone that existed simultaneously with another storm of the same intensity in October 1997. Forming out of an area of disturbed weather on October 13, Ivan gradually intensified into a typhoon as it tracked steadily to the west-northwest. On October 15, the storm underwent rapid intensification and reached an intensity corresponding to Category 5 status on the Saffir–Simpson Hurricane Scale. Late on October 17, Ivan reached its peak strength with winds of 295 km/h (185 mph) and a barometric pressure of 905 hPa (mbar). Shortly thereafter, the typhoon began to weaken as it approached the Philippines. Ivan eventually made landfall in northern Luzon with winds of 220 km/h (140 mph) on October 20 before weakening to a tropical storm the next day. The storm then curved northeastward and became extratropical on October 25 and dissipating the following day.

Although Ivan was a powerful storm at landfall, its effects were relatively minor compared to the storms' intensity; however, 14 people were killed during the storm and two others were listed as missing. Agricultural industries sustained the most severe damage, as thousands of animals drowned in the storm. Total damage was estimated at $9.6 million (1997 USD; $13.1 million 2009 USD). A total of 1,779 homes were destroyed, 13,771 others were damaged and 4,600 hectares of farmland were flooded by the storm.

Typhoon Ivan originated from an area of disturbed weather near the equator during the first week of October 1997. Two equatorial troughs, one in the Northern Hemisphere and one in the Southern Hemisphere developed from this system. Three resultant areas of low pressure formed; one in the Southern Hemisphere developed into Tropical Cyclone Lusi on October 8, and two north of the equator steadily tracked westward. The eastern low developed into Typhoon Joan, while the western cyclone became the system that would intensify into Typhoon Ivan. Situated in an environment without significant convective activity, this system initially struggled to become organized. However, the disturbance began to mature, and by October 11, the Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC) discovered a low-level circulation center, prompting the issuance of a Tropical Cyclone Formation Alert the following day.