page_title: Effects of the 2009 Pacific typhoon season in the Philippines
section_title: Typhoon Parma
hierarchical_section_title: Effects of the 2009 Pacific typhoon season in the Philippines / Seasonal activity / September–October / Typhoon Parma
caption_attribution_description: English: Once a powerful Super Typhoon, Parma crossed over the northern tip of Luzon Island, the Philippines, on October 3, 2009, as a Category 1 typhoon. The storm battered the island with damaging winds and heavy rain before moving over the South China Sea, where it stalled, spinning more or less in place for about a day and a half. On October 6, the storm reversed direction and moved southeast back over Luzon. What caused this change in direction? The answer is shown in this true color image from October 6. The powerful Super Typhoon Melor moved close enough to Parma to influence its motion. When two cyclones approach one another, they can interact in a variety of ways. One interaction is the Fujiwara Effect, in which the two storms are drawn together and begin to circle around each other. In this case, Parma was drawn towards the stronger Melor. Occasionally, the stronger storm will absorb the weaker storm, but that fate wasn't in the forecast for Parma as of October 6. The Joint Typhoon Warning Center expected Parma to move south away from Melor and eventually track west over the South China Sea on October 8. This image blends two satellite overpasses to show the proximity of the two storms to one another. The left half of the image, containing Tropical Storm Parma, is from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA's Terra satellite, acquired at 10:35 a.m., Philippine time. The right half of the image was taken just under two hours later (Philippine time) by the MODIS instrument on NASA's Aqua satellite. The time difference causes the subtle differences in lighting from one side of the image to the other. Parma left at least 22 people dead and damaged millions of dollars of crops and infrastructure in floods and landslides across northern Luzon as of October 6, reported Reuters. The storm is likely to do more damage as it tracks slowly south over the island, pouring heavy rain. The Joint Typhoon Warning Center expected Melor to come ashore over Japan early on October 8 (local time) as a weak Category 1 typhoon. At the time of these satellite overpasses, Tropical Storm Parma had sustained winds of about 100 kilometers per hour (60 miles per hour or 55 knots), according to the Joint Typhoon Warning Center. The storm maintains a spiral shape, but no longer has the tightly packed bands of clouds exhibited by the much stronger Typhoon Melor. At 12:10 Philippine time, Melor had sustained winds of about 200 km/hr (130 mph or 115 knots), making it a Category 4 typhoon. 1. Mogato, M. (2009, October 6). Typhoon heads to Japan, storm stall over Philippines. Reuters, published in Washington Post. Accessed October 6, 2009. 2. Unisys Weather. (2009, October 6). Super Typhoon-5 Melor. Accessed October 6, 2009. 3. Unisys Weather. (2009, October 6). Super Typhoon-4 Parma. Accessed October 6, 2009.
context_page_description: The effects of the 2009 Pacific typhoon season in the Philippines were considered some of the worst in decades. Throughout the year, series of typhoons impacted the country, with the worst damage occurring during September and October from Typhoons Ketsana and Parma.
  The season started by the formation of Tropical Depression Auring during early of the year which affected southern Philippines with moderate damages. Only two storms, Bising and Crising, developed during the weak first third of the season, with later Dante and Emong forming and impacting Luzon during the first week of May. Tropical Storm Feria impacted most of the country with severe damages during June. A series of weak storms developed continuously during July.
  Typhoon Kiko only brushed the norther part of the Philippine's area of Responsibility while enhancing the southwest monsoon, which caused heavy flooding throughout the country. During late-September, combined with the enhancement of the monsoon, Ondoy formed and affected most of the country with an extreme death toll and extensive damages.
context_section_description: Even though Parma would not make its landfall in northern Philippines, various transportation was suspended before the super typhoon drew near. In Catanduanes, where the first signal warning no.3 was raised, the province's power and communications were cut. Fallen trees were already in the main roads. About 30,000 families were evacuated. In addition also to the Bicol region, more than 2,000 passengers were stranded in ferry stations. 39 provinces including Metro Manila were put to signal warnings, with each place experienced massive rainfall with strong winds. Parma made its landfall at Northeastern Cagayan at 3:00 pm PST/07:00 (UTC). In Cagayan, at least 6,036 people in 39 barangays (villages) were affected, while P20.33 million worth of agricultural produce were destroyed. Also, in the Chico River was swelled due to the typhoon, making the Maguilling Overflow Bridge along the Cagayan-Apayao Road impassable. The Maharlika Highway in Ilagan, Isabela to Cagayan became hardly passable due to the trees and electric posts that fell when Pepeng battered the area. Total power interruption also crippled the provinces of Kalinga, Apayao, and the northern towns of Isabela. In Kalinga, landslides were reported on roads linking the provincial capital, Tabuk, to upland towns. In Zambales, at least 2,100 families were evacuated as Pepeng brought heavy rains causing the Bucao River to swell. The Carael section of the Zambales highway became impassable due to rising floodwaters. Due to heavy downpour, the San Roque Dam in Eastern Pangasinan and Pantabangan Dam in Nueva Ecija was forced to release huge amount of water. It caused flooding in Eastern and Central Pangasinan as well as Nueva Ecija. In Metro Manila the area is still experienced torrential rains and strong winds. Floodwaters continue to rise in some areas in Metro Manila and Calabarzon. In Pateros, Muntinlupa, and Taguig, in Taytay town in Rizal province, and in the towns of Biñan and San Pedro in Laguna province, the flood is not subsiding. The Laguna de Bay is breaking a 90-year record in meters of water, which threatens to submerge more areas in Metro Manila. In Benguet, a landslide killed at least 200 as Tropical Depression Parma continues to bring rain across northern Luzon.
caption: Severe Tropical Storm Parma as it made landfall in Northern Luzon for the second time after interacting with Typhoon Melor on October 6
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