Typhoon Sarika

Typhoon Sarika (Karen)
	Typhoon Sarika approaching the Philippines on October 15
Meteorological history
Formed	October 13, 2016
Dissipated	October 19, 2016
Very strong typhoon
	10-minute sustained (JMA)
Highest winds	175 km/h (110 mph)
Lowest pressure	935 hPa (mbar); 27.61 inHg
Category 4-equivalent typhoon
	1-minute sustained (SSHWS/JTWC)
Highest winds	215 km/h (130 mph)
Lowest pressure	944 hPa (mbar); 27.88 inHg
Overall effects
Fatalities	≥ 1
Damage	$894 million (2016 USD)
Areas affected	Philippines, South China, Vietnam
	IBTrACS
	Part of the 2016 Pacific typhoon season

Typhoon Sarika, known in the Philippines as Typhoon Karen, was a powerful tropical cyclone which affected the Philippines, South China, and Vietnam in mid-October 2016. The twenty-first named storm and the tenth typhoon of the annual Pacific typhoon season, Sarika developed from a tropical disturbance east of the Philippines on October 13. The system steadily strengthened as it traveled westwards, becoming a tropical storm later that day and then a typhoon on October 15. Rapid intensification commenced as Sarika turned to the west-northwest towards Luzon, reaching its peak intensity just before making landfall in Aurora early on October 16. Sarika weakened significantly as it crossed land, emerging over the South China Sea as a minimal typhoon, then weakening further to a severe tropical storm on October 17. Sarika maintained its strength for the rest of the day and made landfall in Hainan province in China on October 18. Turning to the northwest, Sarika weakened quickly as it emerged into the Gulf of Tonkin, before moving onshore once again in Guangxi province on October 19. The system dissipated shortly after.

Sarika produced significant impacts in the Philippines as a strong typhoon. Strong winds and flooding rainfall caused landslides, power outages, and disruptions of telecommunications services. Nearly 13,000 homes were damaged or destroyed, and more than 200,000 people were displaced. Agricultural damage in the Philippines was severe, totaling ₱3.63 billion (US$76.4 million).^{[nb 1]} Damage to infrastructure was valued at ₱226 million (US$4.76 million). No fatalities occurred, though several mountaineers and sailors were rescued. While not as strong at subsequent landfalls in China, Sarika combined with the northeast monsoon to produce heavy rains across South China and northeast Vietnam. Hong Kong saw its October hourly rainfall record broken by thunderstorms from Sarika on October 19. A person went missing after a boat capsized near Wang Chau Island. Gusty winds and torrential rains affected Hainan, Guangxi, and Guangdong. In particular, Sarika was the strongest October typhoon to hit Hainan since 1971, where nearly 6,000 houses were damaged, 130,000 people lost access to telecommunications services, and almost 381,000 hectares (940,000 acres) of banana, cassava, papaya, and rubber crops were impacted. Direct economic losses in the province reached ¥4.56 billion (US$686 million). Another 165,000 hectares (410,000 acres) of crops were damaged in Guangxi and Guangdong. In total, Sarika killed at least one person and caused economic losses reaching US$894 million.

^ International Monetary Fund, International Financial Statistics (2022). "DEC alternative conversion factor (LCU per US$)". World Bank. Retrieved January 29, 2022.

Cite error: There are <ref group=nb> tags on this page, but the references will not show without a {{reflist|group=nb}} template (see the help page).

[1] International Monetary Fund, International Financial Statistics (2022). "DEC alternative conversion factor (LCU per US$)". World Bank. Retrieved January 29, 2022.

[nb 1]