Typhoon Zeb

The monsoon trough spawned a tropical disturbance over the western Pacific Ocean to the east of Guam around October 7. The system moved steadily westward, organizing enough for the American-based Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC) to issue a Tropical Cyclone Formation Alert early on October 9. After the disturbance passed south of Guam, the JTWC began issuing advisories on Tropical Depression 18W late on October 9, and the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) followed suit the next day. While passing north of Yap in the Caroline Islands, the depression intensified into a tropical storm according to the JTWC, which gave it the name Zeb. Late on October 11, the JTWC upgraded Zeb to typhoon status, or one-minute winds of at least . On October 12, the storm rapidly intensified as it turned more to the west-northwest toward the Philippines. During this time, it caused increased wind shear over the smaller Tropical Storm Alex to the east-northeast, ultimately absorbing it. At 00:00 UTC on October 13, the JTWC upgraded Zeb to super typhoon status, estimating winds of , marking that Zeb attained Category 5 status on the Saffir-Simpson scale. Twelve hours later, the agency estimated that the typhoon strengthened further to a peak of 285 km/h (180 mph), making it the strongest storm of the season. Late on October 13, the JMA estimated peak 10-minute winds of just east of the island of Luzon. Early on October 14, Zeb made landfall on eastern Luzon just south of Palanan Bay, or east of Ilagan, near peak intensity. The typhoon weakened rapidly over land, while its track shifted more to the north around a ridge to the east. It emerged into the Luzon Strait between the eponymous island and Taiwan with a much larger eyewall, and failed to re-intensify over open waters. Late on October 15, Zeb passed within of Taiwan's east coast before accelerating to the northeast due to a passing trough. The JMA downgraded the typhoon to tropical storm status on October 16, although the JTWC retained Zeb at typhoon status. Favorable upper-level conditions allowed the storm to briefly re-intensify after passing Taiwan, although this was short-lived, and it weakened while accelerating toward Japan. At 07:00 UTC on October 17, Zeb struck southern Kyushu in Kagoshima Prefecture. It continued northeastward through the country, striking Kōchi Prefecture on Shikoku and later crossing central Honshu as a tropical storm. During this time, the storm was losing tropical characteristics as it swiftly entered the Sea of Japan. At 00:00 UTC on October 18, the JMA declared Zeb extratropical, and shortly after the storm moved over northern Hokkaido and into the Sea of Okhotsk. The remnants moved across the southern Kamchatka Peninsula and continued eastward through the open north Pacific. It was last noted by the JMA early on October 20. == Preparations ==

Ahead of the storm, PAGASA issued Public Storm Warning Signal #4, in which winds of over were expected within 12 hours. and extended into the Metro Manila area. Ports were closed and flights were canceled due to the storm. Before the worst of the storm struck, power companies shut off electricity to prevent accidents. About 103,000 people evacuated their homes, Before Zeb brushed the east coast of Taiwan, a typhoon warning was issued, causing schools, government buildings, and financial markets to close. Airports and ferry travel were also disrupted. Hundreds of Chinese fishing boats rode out the storm in Taiwan harbors. Train service was canceled on Kyushu during the storm. == Impact ==

Philippines Striking the Philippines at peak intensity, Zeb largely affected the island of Luzon, including the regions of Ilocos, Cagayan Valley, and Central Luzon. Across Luzon, the high rains caused flooding, landslides, and halted construction of a dam in Bakun. Considered one of the strongest typhoons to hit the area in decades, Zeb knocked down trees and power lines, which covered roads and left areas isolated. The winds were strong enough to blow over a jeepney. Along its path, the storm destroyed 26,305 houses and damaged another 59,539, River flooding caused heavy damage to crops, The storm also marred the local infrastructure; areas in northeastern Luzon were isolated when landslides blocked a highway, and several other roads and bridges were impassible. which as of 2011 was the thirteenth-costliest typhoon in the Philippines and the fifth-costliest at the time. Elsewhere The interaction between Zeb and the monsoon brought gusty winds to Hong Kong, reaching on Cheung Chau. High tides were also recorded, although there was no reported damage in the territory. The high rainfall forced workers at the Fei-tsui Dam to release water, after water levels rose by . Landslides near Taipei wrecked homes, trapping at least two people. Zeb's winds knocked over trees, billboards, and power lines, washed a freighter ashore in Taichung, Overall damage was estimated at NT$4.15 billion (New Taiwan dollar, US$125 million), and there were 31 confirmed deaths in Taiwan, with 19 people injured. Within Japan, Zeb first affected Miyako-jima while passing about to the northwest. High winds left 2,600 houses without power and caused damage to public buildings. It later passed about to the northwest of Okinawa. Along the island, wind gusts reached , and wave heights peaked at 13.7 m (45 ft). The waves swept away two people over a sea wall, On Kyushu, Zeb damaged houses, marred crops, and flooded rivers. The storm spawned a tornado in Miyazaki Prefecture that damaged two roofs and a vehicle. In Saganoseki, a motorist died after a roadway collapse landed his vehicle in a nearby river. On Shikoku, Zeb destroyed roads and farmlands and eroded lands along waterways. Three people died due to a landslide in Matsuyama. In Okayama Prefecture along Honshu, Zeb left six people missing or killed and was the costliest typhoon since Typhoon Fran in 1976. Landslides killed three people in Hiroshima Prefecture. Power outages and landslides affected much of Honshu, while strong winds damaged many fields. A cargo freighter washed aground amid high waves in Shizuoka Prefecture, causing oil to leak and requiring assistance from the Coast Guard; oil recovery equipment was sent to the area to clean the spill. Lastly, Zeb affected the northern island of Hokkaido, causing one landslide, damaging 152 buildings, and knocking 152,000 apples to the ground. Nationwide, Zeb destroyed 770 homes and flooded another 12,548, with damage estimated at $335.5 million (1998 USD). ==Aftermath==

After the storm, then-Philippine president Joseph Estrada declared six provinces as a state of calamity, using rubber boats and trucks to reach the hardest hit areas as floodwaters decreased. They were aided by the Philippine Red Cross and other government agencies. Volunteers, the military, and public workers helped clean up from the damage. Just seven days after Zeb's damaging Philippine landfall, another typhoon—Babs—struck the same general region with a similar, but lesser intensity. Power was gradually restored in northeastern Luzon, allowing communication of the damage extent. The government airlifted about 3,000 bags of supplies to Cagayan that included rice and canned goods. The back to back storm impacts caused an estimated 30% drop in coconut exports. Food prices rose dramatically, in some instances up to 400%, after both storms damaged crops. The storms also delayed shipments of sugar from neighboring countries, although prices were expected to fall once they arrived. By December 1998, consumer prices had risen by 11.2% over the previous year due to the typhoons' damage. Workers in Taiwan began a search-and-rescue mission for missing victims once the typhoon warning was lifted. Workers immediately began repairing road damage in Japan once the storm passed. ==See also==