{{Short description|Pacific typhoon in 1959}} {{Use mdy dates|date=January 2014}} {{Other storms|List of storms named Vera|the 1959 typhoon}} {{Infobox weather event | name = Typhoon Vera<br /><small>[[Ise Bay|Isewan]] Typhoon</small> | image = Typhoon Vera analysis 23 Sep 1959.png | caption = [[Surface weather analysis]] of Typhoon Vera near peak intensity on September 23 | alt = Map of a tropical cyclone's position and other meteorological variables. The map shows isobars, or contours of barometric pressure, as lines with numbers denoting the pressure. | formed = September 20, 1959 | dissipated = {{end date|1959|09|29}} }}{{Infobox weather event/JMA | pressure = 895 | category = VITY }}{{Infobox weather event/JTWC | winds = 165 | pressure = 895 | basin = WPac }}{{Infobox weather event/Effects | year = 1959 | fatalities = 5,098 | damage = $261 million+ (1959 USD) | areas = [[Japan]] | refs = <ref>[https://www.bousai.go.jp/kyoiku/kyokun/kyoukunnokeishou/rep/1959_isewan_typhoon/index.html 1959 伊勢湾台風] - 災害教訓の継承に関する専門調査会報告書</ref> }}{{Infobox weather event/Footer | season = [[1959 Pacific typhoon season]] }} '''Typhoon Vera''', also known as the {{nihongo|'''Isewan Typhoon'''|伊勢湾台風|Ise-wan Taifū}}, was an exceptionally intense [[tropical cyclone]] that struck Japan in September 1959, becoming the strongest and deadliest typhoon on record to make [[landfall (meteorology)|landfall]] on the country, as well as the only one to do so as a Category 5 equivalent storm. The storm's intensity resulted in catastrophic damage of unparalleled severity and extent, and was a major setback to the Japanese economy, which was still [[Postwar Japan|recovering]] from [[World War II]]. In the aftermath of Vera, Japan's disaster management and relief systems were significantly reformed, and the typhoon's effects would set a benchmark for future storms striking the country.
Vera developed on September 20 between [[Guam]] and [[Chuuk State]], and initially tracked westward before taking a more northerly course, reaching [[tropical storm]] strength the following day. By this point Vera had assumed a more westerly direction of movement and had begun to [[rapid deepening|rapidly intensify]], and reached its peak intensity on September 23 with [[maximum sustained wind]]s equivalent to that of a modern-day [[Saffir–Simpson hurricane wind scale|Category 5 hurricane]]. With little change in strength, Vera curved and accelerated northward, resulting in a [[landfall (meteorology)|landfall]] on September 26 near [[Shionomisaki Lighthouse|Shionomisaki]] on [[Honshu]]. Atmospheric wind patterns caused the typhoon to briefly emerge into the [[Sea of Japan]] before recurving eastward and moving ashore Honshu for a second time. Movement over land greatly weakened Vera, and after reentering the North Pacific Ocean later that day, Vera transitioned into an [[extratropical cyclone]] on September 27; these remnants continued to persist for an additional two days.
Though Vera was accurately forecast and its track into Japan was well anticipated, limited coverage of telecommunications, combined with lack of urgency from Japanese media and the storm's intensity, greatly inhibited potential evacuation and disaster mitigation processes. Rainfall from the storm's outer [[rainband]]s began to cause [[flooding]] in river basins well in advance of the storm's landfall. Upon moving ashore Honshu, the typhoon brought a strong [[storm surge]] that destroyed numerous flood defense systems, inundating coastal regions and sinking ships. Damage totals from Vera reached US$600 million (equivalent to US${{formatnum:{{Inflation|US|0.6|1959|{{Inflation-year|US}}|r=2}}}} billion in {{Inflation-year|US}}). The number of fatalities caused by Vera remain discrepant, though current estimates indicate that the typhoon caused more than 5,000 deaths, making it one of the deadliest typhoons in Japanese history. It also injured almost 39,000 people and displaced about 1.6 million.<ref>{{cite encyclopedia |url=https://www.britannica.com/event/Ise-Bay-typhoon-of-1959 |title=Ise Bay typhoon of 1959 |encyclopedia=Encyclopaedia Britannica}}</ref>
Relief efforts were initiated by Japanese and American governments immediately following Typhoon Vera. Due to the inundation caused by the typhoon, localized [[epidemic]]s were reported, including those of [[dysentery]] and [[tetanus]]. The spread of disease and blocking debris slowed the ongoing relief efforts. Due to the unprecedented damage and loss of life following Vera, the [[National Diet]] passed legislation in order to more efficiently assist affected regions and mitigate future disasters. This included the passage of the Disaster Countermeasures Basic Act in 1961, which set standards for Japanese disaster relief, including the establishment of the Central Disaster Prevention Council.
==Meteorological history== {{Storm path|Vera 1959 path.png|colors=new}} The origin of Typhoon Vera can be traced back to a diffuse [[low-pressure area|area of low pressure]] first incorporated into [[surface weather analysis]] early on September 20. At the time, the disturbance was situated between [[Guam]] and [[Chuuk State]].<ref name=ATCR>{{cite report|title=1959 Annual Typhoon Report|url=http://www.usno.navy.mil/NOOC/nmfc-ph/RSS/jtwc/atcr/1959atcr.pdf|work=Annual Tropical Cyclone Report|publisher=Joint Typhoon Warning Center|access-date=1 January 2014|author=Tilden, Charles E.|location=[[San Francisco, California]]|year=1959|archive-date=February 21, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130221115302/http://www.usno.navy.mil/NOOC/nmfc-ph/RSS/jtwc/atcr/1959atcr.pdf|url-status=dead}}</ref> Though the [[Joint Typhoon Warning Center]] <small>(JTWC)</small> did not classify the incipient system as a tropical cyclone,<ref name=IBTrACS>{{cite web|title=1959 VERA (1959263N11160)|url=http://atms.unca.edu/ibtracs/ibtracs_v03r04/browse-ibtracs/index.php?name=v03r04-1959263N11160|work=International Best Track Archive for Climate Stewardship|publisher=University of North Carolina at Asheville|access-date=1 January 2014|author=National Climatic Data Center|location=[[Asheville, North Carolina]]|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160106142407/http://atms.unca.edu/ibtracs/ibtracs_v03r04/browse-ibtracs/index.php?name=v03r04-1959263N11160|archive-date=January 6, 2016|df=mdy-all}}</ref> the [[Japan Meteorological Agency]] <small>(JMA)</small> analyzed the disturbance to be a [[tropical depression]] as early as 0000 [[Coordinated Universal Time|UTC]] that day.<ref name=JMA-BT>{{Cite FTP |title=Japan Meteorological Agency Best Track Database|url=ftp://eclipse.ncdc.noaa.gov/pub/ibtracs/.original_source/tokyo/bst_all.txt.htm#7154|access-date=1 January 2014|author=Japan Meteorological Agency|server=[[National Climatic Data Center]]|url-status=dead|format=TXT}}</ref> Initially, the depression tracked westward,<ref name=ATCR /> but transiently shifted to a more northerly course on September 21.<ref name=IBTrACS /> Late that day, a reconnaissance airplane dispatched by the JTWC to analyze the disturbance failed to reach its center due to engine failure. However, the data collected from the storm's periphery was sufficient for the warning center to classify the depression as a [[tropical storm]] at 1800 UTC that day.<ref name=ATCR /> Despite the flight data, the JMA had already determined the system to have been of at least tropical storm intensity six hours earlier.<ref name=JMA-BT /> As a result of the reclassification, the tropical storm was [[tropical cyclone naming|designated]] the name ''Vera'' by the JTWC.<ref name=Retrospective>{{cite report|title=1959 Super Typhoon Vera: 50-Year Retrospective |url=https://support.rms.com/publications/1959_Typhoon_Vera.pdf |publisher=Risk Management Solutions, Inc. |access-date=1 January 2014 |author=Donovan, Matthew |author2=Grossi, Patricia |editor=Ericksen, Shelly |year=2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140104093213/https://support.rms.com/publications/1959_Typhoon_Vera.pdf |archive-date=January 4, 2014 }}</ref> At this point the tropical cyclone began to take a more westerly course.<ref name=IBTrACS />
Early on September 22, an [[Fix (position)|aircraft fix]] located Vera 175 km (110 mi) north-northeast of [[Saipan]]. Throughout the course of the day, periodic reconnaissance flights into the storm indicated that Vera had begun to [[rapid deepening|rapidly intensify]]. By 1800 UTC later that day, data analysis concluded that the tropical cyclone had reached [[tropical cyclone scales|typhoon]] intensity.<ref name=ATCR /> Rapid intensification continued into the following day, as the typhoon's [[maximum sustained wind]]s and [[barometric pressure]] quickly rose and fell, respectively.<ref name=IBTrACS /> Concurrently, Vera's size grew to a point at which it spanned 250 km (155 mi) across.<ref name=Retrospective /> At 0600 UTC the following day, Vera achieved its minimum estimated barometric pressure at 895 [[bar (unit)|mbar]] ([[pascal (unit)|hPa]]; 26.43 [[inches of mercury|inHg]]). This indicated a 75 mbar (hPa; 2.22 inHg) pressure drop in the preceding 24 hours.<ref name=IBTrACS /> Upon reaching its minimum pressure, Vera was estimated to have attained winds equivalent to a [[Saffir–Simpson scale#Category 5|Category 5]] – the highest classification possible on the modern-day [[Saffir–Simpson hurricane wind scale]].<ref name=IBTrACS /><ref name=SSHS>{{cite web | title=Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale | url=http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/aboutsshws.php | publisher=United States National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's National Weather Service | access-date=2 January 2014 | author=National Hurricane Center | location=[[Miami, Florida]] | date=May 24, 2013}}</ref> The typhoon's winds continued to increase before peaking at 1200 UTC on September 23, when reconnaissance aircraft reported maximum sustained winds of 305 km/h (190 mph).<ref name=ATCR /><ref name=Retrospective /> Upon peaking in wind speed, Vera was located 645 km (400 mi) northeast of Guam.<ref name=ATCR /> The tropical cyclone's ability to quickly intensify was attributed to conducive [[atmospheric circulation|atmospheric divergence]] and highly sustainable [[sea surface temperature]]s.<ref name=Retrospective/>
Vera only maintained peak intensity for roughly twelve hours, but still remained a powerful tropical cyclone.<ref name=IBTrACS /> With very little change in strength, the typhoon tracked northwestward throughout September 24. Due to the influence of a nearby [[high-pressure area]], Vera began to gradually curve and rapidly accelerate northward towards Japan. At 0900 UTC on September 26, Vera made its first [[landfall (meteorology)|landfall]] on [[Honshu]], just west of [[Shionomisaki Lighthouse|Shionomisaki]].<ref name=ATCR /> At the time, the typhoon had maximum sustained winds of 260 km/h (160 mph), equivalent to a [[Saffir-Simpson Scale|Category 5 super typhoon]], and a barometric pressure of 920 mbar (hPa; 27.17 inHg).<ref name=IBTrACS /> Vera traversed the Japanese island rather quickly at a speed 61 km/h (38 mph), and emerged into the [[Sea of Japan]] at 1530 UTC that day.<ref name=ATCR /> Despite its short stint over land, the terrain greatly weakened the tropical cyclone.<ref name=IBTrACS /> Tracking into a [[westerlies|westerly wind flow]], Vera was forced eastward, resulting in a second landfall near Sakata, Honshu,<ref name=ATCR /> with an intensity equivalent to that of a [[Saffir–Simpson scale#Category 1|Category 1 hurricane]].<ref name=IBTrACS /><ref name=SSHS /> Vera re-emerged into the North Pacific Ocean late on September 26, having weakened due to [[advection]] of cold air in addition to continued land interaction. At 0600 UTC on September 27, the JTWC analyzed the typhoon to have weakened to tropical storm intensity. The warning center discontinued its periodic monitoring of the system, as Vera had begun to transition into an [[extratropical cyclone]].<ref name=ATCR /> Consequently, the JMA officially reclassified the system as an extratropical storm at 1200 UTC that day. Vera's extratropical remnants continued to persist and track eastward for the next two days before the JMA last noted the storm at 1200 UTC on September 29.<ref name=JMA-BT /> {{clear}}
==Impact== {{Significant Typhoons with Special Names|align=right}} Despite being well forecast and tracked throughout its duration,<ref name=ATCR /> Typhoon Vera's effects were highly disastrous and long-lasting.<ref name=Retrospective /> In addition to the storm's intensity, the severe damage and large death tolls were partially attributed to a lack of urgency from Japanese media in advance of Vera's landfall.<ref name=IsewanLessons /> Though estimates for damage costs indicated totals in excess of US$261 million (equivalent to US${{formatnum:{{Inflation|US|0.261|1959|{{Inflation-year|US}}|r=2}}}} billion in {{Inflation-year|US}}),<ref name=ATCR /> other damage estimates suggested that damage costs were as high as US$600 million (equivalent to US${{formatnum:{{Inflation|US|0.6|1959|{{Inflation-year|US}}|r=2}}}} billion in {{Inflation-year|US}}).<ref name=EMDAT>{{cite web|title=EMDAT Disaster List |url=http://www.emdat.be/search-details-disaster-list |publisher=Centre for Research on the Epidemiology of Disasters |access-date=2 January 2014 |author=Emergency Events Database |year=2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140203051752/http://www.emdat.be/search-details-disaster-list |archive-date=February 3, 2014 }}</ref> Death tolls also remain unclear, but reports generally indicated that around 5,000 people were killed,<ref name=ATCR /><ref name=Retrospective /><ref name=Vera-DT-Diaster>{{cite web|title=Typhoon 195915 (VERA)|url=http://agora.ex.nii.ac.jp/cgi-bin/dt/dsummary.pl?id=195915&basin=wnp&lang=en|work=Digital Typhoon|publisher=National Institute of Informatics|access-date=2 January 2014|author=KITAMOTO Asanobu}}</ref> with hundreds of other persons missing.<ref name=ATCR /><ref name=Vera-DT-Diaster /> In addition to the dead nearly 40,000 people were injured,<ref name=Vera-DT-Diaster /> and an additional 1.6 million people were rendered homeless.<ref name=ATCR /> Countrywide approximately 834,000 homes were destroyed and roughly 210,000 [[hectare|ha]] (520,000 [[acre|ac]]) of agricultural fields were damaged.<ref name=Vera-DT-Diaster /> The damage wrought by Vera made it the deadliest typhoon in Japanese history, succeeding the [[1934 Muroto typhoon]].<ref name=VeraWorst>{{cite news|title=Typhoon Vera Officially Japan's Worst Storm|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1842&dat=19590930&id=fxosAAAAIBAJ&pg=672,3311763|access-date=2 January 2014|newspaper=[[TimesDaily|The Florence Times]]|date=September 30, 1959|author=Cary, James|agency=Associated Press|location=Florence, Alabama|page=4|volume=100|issue=183}}</ref><ref name=DeadliestJapanTyphoons /> Vera was also the third deadliest natural disaster in Japan during the 20th century,<ref name=Retrospective /><ref name=DeadliestJapanTyphoons>{{cite web|title=Typhoon Damage List |url=http://agora.ex.nii.ac.jp/cgi-bin/dt/disaster.pl?lang=en&basin=wnp&sort=dead_or_missing&order=dec&stype=number|work=Digital Typhoon|publisher=National Institute of Informatics|access-date=2 January 2014|author=KITAMOTO Asanobu}}</ref> only behind the [[Great Hanshin earthquake]] in 1995 and the [[1923 Great Kantō earthquake|Great Kantō earthquake]] in 1923.<ref name=Retrospective />
{{multiple image | align = left | direction = Horizontal | width = 200 | image1 = Typhoon Vera 1959 CBC Location.jpg | alt1 = Black and white image of a cameraman in flood waters taking an image of a building's damaged façade. | caption1 = A [[Chubu-Nippon Broadcasting|CBC]] camera crew in a suburb of [[Nagoya]] in the wake of Typhoon Vera | image2 = Seawall damage Typhoon Vera 1959.jpg | alt2 = Slightly elevated photo showing a pile of debris near the coast, with some onlookers nearby. | caption2 = Damage to a seawall caused by Typhoon Vera | total_width = }}
Well in advance of Vera's landfall, heavy rainfall ahead of the typhoon occurred across the [[Tōkai region]] of Japan starting on September 23,<ref name=Retrospective /> when the storm reached peak intensity over open waters.<ref name=JMA-BT /> In [[Nagoya]], rainfall totals reached 10 cm (4 in). In other parts of the Tōkai region, nearly 20 cm (8 in) of rain was reported. The precipitation caused flooding along several river basins in the swath of rain. Steady rainfall occurred throughout Vera's passage of Honshu, though the worst of the rain-induced flooding occurred well after the typhoon's initial landfall.<ref name=Retrospective /> In [[Kawakami, Nara]], a landslide killed 60 people after crushing 12 homes.<ref name=ATCR /> [[File:1959_Typhoon_Vera_damage_at_Handa.jpg|alt=|thumb|353x353px|Typhoon Vera damage at [[Handa, Aichi|Handa]]]] Most of the damage associated with Vera was a result of highly destructive storm surge. At the coast, the typhoon's intensity resulted in a strong [[storm surge]] that inundated low-lying coastal regions. In [[Ise Bay]], storm surge heights were greatly enhanced due to the curvature of the land and the bay's shallow depth, which allowed water to be easily driven the length of the bay towards the coast.<ref name=Retrospective /><ref name=IsewanLessons>{{cite web|title=Typhoon Isewan (Vera) And Its Lessons|url=http://www.waterforum.jp/jpn/katrina/Typhoon_Isewan.pdf|publisher=Japan Water Forum|access-date=2 January 2014|author=Oda, Hideaki|location=Tokyo, Japan|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131110002103/http://www.waterforum.jp/jpn/katrina/Typhoon_Isewan.pdf|archive-date=November 10, 2013|df=mdy-all}}</ref> In addition, the storm passed the area at [[high tide]].<ref name=5YearScar>{{cite news|title=5-Year Scar Left By Typhoon Vera|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1368&dat=19591012&id=LXxRAAAAIBAJ&pg=7565,1229996|access-date=3 January 2014|newspaper=Milwaukee Sentinel|date=October 12, 1959|agency=Associated Press|location=Milwaukee, Wisconsin|page=6}}{{Dead link|date=August 2024 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> Water levels began to rise prior to Vera's landfall and peaked during the typhoon's first traversal of Honshu. The highest storm surge measurement was observed in the [[Port of Nagoya]], where water levels peaked {{convert|3.9|m|ft|abbr=on}} above normal. The intense storm surge easily engulfed or breached earthen [[levee]]s and other flood prevention mechanisms around Ise Bay.<ref name=Retrospective /> However, these coastal [[Levee|dykes]] still remained partially unfinished and were seriously impacted by Vera's storm surge.<ref name=IsewanLessons /> Only newly installed flood mitigation systems along the southern portion of the bay were able to withstand the wave action.<ref name=Retrospective /> Offshore, the waves sunk 25 fishing boats, with thousands of other ships grounded or missing.<ref name=Death1544>{{cite news|title=Death Toll 1544 in Typhoon Vera|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1314&dat=19590929&id=FzNWAAAAIBAJ&pg=7196,4714831|access-date=2 January 2014|newspaper=The Spokesman-Review|date=September 29, 1959|agency=Reuters|location=[[Spokane, Washington]]|page=3|volume=77|issue=138}}</ref> In total, damage was reported to 7,576 vessels.<ref name=Vera-DT-Diaster /> In addition to the damaged craft, numerous [[oyster]] rafts were also lost, with losses totaling US$6 million.<ref name=Death1544/> Also, 75 million individual pearl oysters were lost to the waves, resulting in US$10 million in additional losses.<ref name=PearlBoost>{{cite news|title=Typhoon Vera Will Boost Pearl Prices|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1917&dat=19600208&id=OW8rAAAAIBAJ&pg=3601,1072361|access-date=2 January 2014|newspaper=Schenectady Gazette|date=February 8, 1960|agency=United Press International|location=Schenectady, New York|page=14|volume=66|issue=112}}</ref>
{{Quote box |quote = Bloated bodies—human and cattle—float in muddy, brown floodwaters that enveloped 95 percent of Nagashima when Typhoon Vera turned the rivers into raging killers. |source = {{cite news|title=Japan Counts 1,710 Dead in Wake of Typhoon Vera|newspaper=The Ludington Daily News|date=September 29, 1959|agency=Associated Press|volume=69|issue=276}} |width = 20% |align = left}} The resulting inundation caused by Vera's storm surge submerged areas around the periphery of the bay for extended periods of time, with some low-lying areas remaining underwater in excess of four months.<ref name=Retrospective /> Due to the failure of multiple flood mitigation systems in quick succession, coupled with the narrow coverage of telecommunications exacerbated by Vera's strong winds, many persons in affected regions had very little time to evacuate.<ref name=IsewanLessons /> Nagoya was one of the worst impacted cities by Vera, and as a result of the storm surge and wind, its harbor was put out of service in under three hours.<ref name=ATCR /> The effects of the typhoon's storm surge there were further worsened by the destruction of [[lumber yard]]s in Nagoya Harbor, which set loose large quantities of logs that caused considerable damage to structures.<ref name=IsewanLessons /> The release of logs also hampered relief efforts following the typhoon's passage. Citywide, 50,000 homes were severely damaged by flood waters, and 1,800 other residences were washed away off of their foundations.<ref name=Retrospective /> Total damage to crops was estimated at US$30 million.<ref name=Death1544 /> Rice crops sustained heavy impacts, with 150,000 tons (135,000 tonnes) of rice lost. In addition to the crop damage, US$2.5 million worth of fruits and US$4 million worth of vegetables were lost.<ref name=Fear2500>{{cite news|title=Fear 2,500 Dead In Japan|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1928&dat=19590928&id=C8cgAAAAIBAJ&pg=2557,2365599|access-date=2 January 2014|newspaper=The Lewiston Daily Sun|date=September 28, 1959|agency=Associated Press|location=Lewiston-Auburn, Maine|pages=1, 12|volume=67}}</ref> The collapse of a single apartment home in the city buried 84 people under debris; a similar incident in [[Naka, Ibaraki]] buried roughly 300 people.<ref name=VeraWorstDisaster>{{cite news|title=Typhoon Vera May Prove Worst Japanese Disaster|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1876&dat=19590927&id=4H4sAAAAIBAJ&pg=6200,3667986|access-date=2 January 2014|newspaper=Spartanburg Herald-Journal|date=September 27, 1959|agency=Associated Press|location=Spartanburg, South Carolina|page=A-5|volume=69|issue=42}}</ref> Beach houses were destroyed, and large swaths of nearby cropland were heavily damaged.<ref name=VeraWorst /> In addition to the storm surge, Nagoya experienced sustained winds of about 145 km/h (90 mph), with gusts reaching as high as 260 km/h (160 mph), downing power lines and causing [[power outage]].<ref name=Retrospective /> Southeast of Nagoya, in [[Handa, Aichi]], around 300 people were killed after Vera's waves engulfed more than 250 homes.<ref name=ATCR /> Casualties throughout [[Aichi]] totaled 3,168 and roughly 59,000 people were injured, based on an enumeration conducted in March 1960.<ref name=IsewanLessons />
On the western side of Ise Bay, in [[Mie Prefecture]], 1,233 people were killed, with approximately 5,500 others sustaining injuries.<ref name=Retrospective /> Approximately 95% of [[Nagashima, Mie|Nagashima]] was submerged underwater.<ref name=CountsDead>{{cite news|title=Japan Counts 1,710 Dead in Wake of Typhoon Vera|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=110&dat=19590929&id=jdgKAAAAIBAJ&pg=3285,1232444|access-date=3 January 2014|newspaper=The Ludington Daily News|date=September 29, 1959|agency=Associated Press|location=Ludington, Michigan|volume=69|issue=276}}</ref> Nearby [[Kuwana, Mie|Kuwuna]] suffered a similar fate as 80% of the city proper was flooded. There, 58 people were killed and 800 others were displaced. The towns of Kamezaki and Kamiyoshi were also wiped out by the flood inundation.<ref name=DisasterSlash>{{cite news|title=2600 Dead, Missing As Typhoon Slashes Disaster Upon Japan|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=2245&dat=19590926&id=obUzAAAAIBAJ&pg=5969,2149977|access-date=3 January 2014|newspaper=Lodi News-Sentinel|date=September 28, 1959|agency=United Press International|location=Lodi, California|page=1}}</ref> Further inland, in [[Nagano Prefecture]], strong winds unroofed numerous homes.<ref name=ATCR /> The [[United States Air Force]]'s [[Tachikawa Airfield]] near Tokyo sustained significant damage from the typhoon, with damage costs totaling in excess of US$1 million.<ref name=SlashesJapan>{{cite news|title=Typhoon Vera Slashes Japan|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1755&dat=19590926&id=YiIhAAAAIBAJ&pg=6385,4767320|access-date=2 January 2014|newspaper=Sarasota Herald-Tribune|date=September 28, 1959|agency=United Press International|location=[[Sarasota, Florida]]|pages=1–2|volume=34|issue=358}}</ref> {{clear}}
==Aftermath== {{Deadliest typhoons|Align=right}}
In the immediate aftermath following Typhoon Vera, the Japanese government established a disaster headquarters in Tokyo and allocated resources to aid impacted areas. The government also set up the Central Japan Disaster Relief Department in Nagoya.<ref name=Retrospective /> Due to the large estimated damage cost of Vera's impacts, [[National Diet|Japanese parliament]] was forced to introduce a supplementary national budget to cover the losses.<ref name=SlashesJapan /> Beginning on September 27, refuge shelters were opened and local government agencies assisted in rescuing stranded civilians. On September 29, the [[Japan Self-Defense Forces]] began to take part in the relief effort.<ref name=Retrospective /> United States [[lieutenant general]] [[Robert Whitney Burns]] ordered all available servicemen stationed in Japan to take part in typhoon relief efforts. The {{USS|Kearsarge|CV-33|6}} was dispatched to Nagoya to assist in relief efforts there.<ref name=VeraWorst /> In Nagoya, the flood waters contaminated drinking water, greatly reducing clean water supplies. Despite rapid sanitation and disinfection work, disease [[epidemic]] broke out in parts of the city. Over 170 cases of [[dysentery]] were reported, along with other cases of [[gangrene]] and [[tetanus]]. In addition to water shortage, food rationing, which had been prompted due to food shortages caused by Vera, resulted in hunger issues for impacted populations.<ref name=ATCR /> [[File:Helicopters evacuate people after Typhoon Vera Japan 1959.jpg|thumb|250px|An American [[Sikorsky H-34|HSS-1]] helicopter and Japanese [[Piasecki H-21#Variants|Model 44A]] helicopter evacuating affected civilians|alt=Black and white image of a large group of refugees in flood waters below two helicopters.|left]]As a result of breaches in flood defenses around Ise Bay, seawater continued to pour into inundated areas after Vera's passage, slowing down repair efforts. One breach spanning 150 km (93 mi) across required 5,000 personnel, 32,000 sandbags, and bulldozers dispatched by the Japanese [[Ministry of Defense (Japan)|Ministry of Defense]] to relieve water flow. In Aichi's [[Ama District, Aichi|Ama District]], reconstruction efforts for levees, roadways, and infrastructure lasted until the end of December 1959.<ref name=Retrospective /> Due to losses sustained by the pearl industry as a result of the typhoon, Japanese pearl production in 1959 was expected to decrease by 30% in 1959, with production losses of 40% expected in 1960. Monetary losses to the industry were expected to eclipse US$15 million, causing Japanese pearl costs to hike up by 20%. Furthermore, the effects of Vera on the country's pearl industry were expected to persist for two to three years.<ref name=PearlBoost />
===Disaster relief and mitigation reformation=== The unprecedented destruction caused by Vera prompted Japanese parliament to pass legislation in order to more efficiently assist affected regions and mitigate future disasters. In October 1959, a special parliamentary session enacted several measures coordinated by various [[ministries of Japan|government ministries]] and provided subsidiaries to persons effected by Vera and other natural disasters in Japan from August and September of that year. A long lasting legislation prompted by Vera's effects was the 1961 passage of the Disaster Countermeasures Basic Act, widely regarded as the "cornerstone of legislation on disaster risk reduction in Japan." The act established the Central Disaster Prevention Council, which was set to coordinate disaster risk reduction. The legislation also mandated an annual disaster prevention plan, to be submitted to the Japanese parliament yearly. Finally, the act established September 1 as a National Disaster Prevention Day.<ref name=Retrospective />
In addition to legislative reform, the breaching of coastal flood defense systems during Vera prompted a redesign of such mechanisms. In Nagoya, regulation was created for coastal construction and their heights. Development of flood defenses in Ise, [[Osaka Bay|Osaka]], and [[Tokyo Bay|Tokyo bays]] was also set into motion. The heights of such defense systems were based on worst-case scenarios and maximum storm surge heights caused by the typhoon.<ref name=Retrospective /> {{clear}}
==See also== {{Portal|Tropical cyclones}}
* [[Typhoon Nancy (1961)]] – similarly strong tropical cyclone that caused extensive damage, primarily in Osaka; also known as the 2nd Muroto typhoon
==References== {{Reflist|2}}
==External links== *[http://www.2-sir.com/TwinFalls/Ise-Wan.html An eyewitness account ] *[http://www.usno.navy.mil/JTWC/ Joint Typhoon Warning Center] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150809201922/http://www.usno.navy.mil/JTWC/ |date=August 9, 2015 }} *[https://web.archive.org/web/20140125113107/http://www.jma.go.jp/en/typh/ Japan Meteorological Center] * {{YouTube|ueRc0s54fD8|Record of Isewan typhoon}} – Nagoya city created in 1960. * {{Digital Typhoon|195915|VERA}}
{{1959 Pacific typhoon season buttons}} {{Good article}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Vera (1959)}} [[Category:1959 Pacific typhoon season]] [[Category:Typhoons in Japan]] [[Category:1959 disasters in Japan]] [[Category:History of Aichi Prefecture]] [[Category:History of Nagoya]] [[Category:History of Mie Prefecture]]