Deadly typhoon Morakot causes severe flooding rains in Taiwan and China
August 11th, 2009 - 1:47 pm ICT by ANIWashington, August 11 (ANI): NASA’s Aqua satellite, using the Moderate Imaging Spectroradiometer instrument, has captured deadly typhoon Morakot causing severe flooding rains in Taiwan and mainland China.
Typhoon Morakot brought enormous amounts of rainfall to Taiwan and China and NASA’s Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) estimated it from space.
The monster Typhoon Morakot that was over 1,000 miles in diameter last week brought widespread damage to Taiwan and China as it crossed Taiwan and made landfall over the weekend in mainland China.
The TRMM satellite, managed by NASA and the Japanese Space Agency can measure rainfall from space.
TRMM data, along with information from other satellites, allows researchers to see how much rain is falling over most of the world every three hours and map areas of potential flooding.
Maps that show areas of potential floods use precipitation radar data and high-resolution measurements of water content of clouds made by microwave radiometers.
The rainfall map that TRMM created from August 3-10 over Taiwan and China showed more than 40 inches of rain fell in central and northern Taiwan as a result of Typhoon Morakot.
Some areas even reported isolated amounts near 100 inches (more than 8 feet) of water.
Those rainfall maps are also made into a seven-day “movie loop” that allows users to track storms as they travel over land and oceans around the globe.
The rainfall animations are developed in the Laboratory for Atmospheres of the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Maryland by the TRMM precipitation research team.
The tremendous amounts of rain caused mudslides and raging rivers that overflowed their banks and caused widespread flooding and erosion.
In the city of Chihpen, Taiwan, one hotel that was evacuated along the banks of a river collapsed into the river. In the Hsiao-lin village, it is feared that a mudslide buried more than 600 residents alive.
News reports in Taiwan are calling Morakot’s flooding the worst in 50 years.
According to the United Kingdom’s Guardian newspaper, mainland China experienced sustained winds near 75 mph as Morakot made landfall in the Fujian and Zhejiang provinces.
More than 500,000 were evacuated and its heavy rains flooded coastal areas and destroyed as many as 1,800 homes. (ANI)
- NASA's TRMM satellite helped estimate rainfall generated by Cyclone Phet - Jun 09, 2010
- NASA's satellite captures Indian areas under heavy rainfall by Laila - May 21, 2010
- Typhoon Talas leaves at least 18 dead in Japan - Sep 04, 2011
- Over 150,000 Chinese evacuated as Typhoon Megi approaches - Oct 22, 2010
- India launching satellite to study tropical climate - Sep 10, 2011
- Tropical depression 05B to bring moderate and heavy rainfall to Chennai - Dec 15, 2009
- China issues disaster warning ahead of super typhoon Megi - Oct 19, 2010
- Typhoon Morakot hits Taiwan, China evacuates thousands - Aug 07, 2009
- Taiwan issues warning as Typhoon Fanapi approaches - Sep 18, 2010
- Typhoon Megi gains strength, approaches south China - Oct 21, 2010
- Typhoon Parma approaches Taiwan - Oct 04, 2009
- 200,000 evacuated in China in fear of typhoon - Aug 06, 2011
- Landslide destroys apartment buildings in eastern China - Aug 11, 2009
- "Typhoon Morakot" devastates Eastern China, Taiwan coastline, one million relocated - Aug 10, 2009
- Typhoon 'Megi' hits China, 270,000 evacuated - Oct 23, 2010
Tags: china typhoon, goddard space flight, goddard space flight center, greenbelt maryland, japanese space agency, mainland china, microwave radiometers, nasa goddard space, nasa goddard space flight, nasa goddard space flight center, nasa goddard space flight center greenbelt, northern taiwan, radar data, raging rivers, rainfall maps, resolution measurements, space flight center, trmm satellite, tropical rainfall, typhoon morakot