Looking Back at Typhoon Rusa! (credit: This Day in Weather History and NASA Earth Observatory)

DISCUSSION: As we turn the clocks back to the period between August 30th and September 1st, 2002, we arrive at the unfortunately memorable landfall of Typhoon Rusa. During those couple of late August days and early September day back in 2002 (i.e., a little over 15 years ago today), Typhoon Rusa dumped torrential rains across South Korea which ultimately caused widespread flooding from the 30th through September 1st.  Typhoon Rusa was the most powerful typhoon to hit South Korea since 1959 as of that point in time in South Korean weather history. Nearly 90,000 people were evacuated. The province of Gangwon was hit the hardest, where an estimated 36 inches of rain fell in less than 48 hours. The torrential rains flooded nearly 36,000 homes. The Korean Defense Ministry reported flood waters submerged 16 jet fighters and 622 military buildings and facilities at Kangnung airbase. 

To learn more about this particular typhoon and its impacts on South Korea back in late 2002, click on the following link!

To learn more about other past historic weather events from around the world, be sure to click here!

©2017 Meteorologist Jordan Rabinowitz