Super Typhoon Joan (1997)

Basin

Western Pacific

Dates

October 11, 1997 to October 25, 1997

Peak strength

Category 5, 160 kt (184 mph)

Lowest pressure

905 mb (26.72 inHg)

Landfall

No; closest approach 823 km (511 mi)

Accumulated cyclone energy

57.0

Fastest the center moved

40 kt (46 mph)

Identifier

WP281997

Radar at PGUA as it neared land, Oct 18, 00:00 UTC

The sources count different things and are not added together.

NOAA’s Storm Events database, the record National Weather Service offices compile months after a storm, as compiled March 2026.

Deaths

0 (0 direct, 0 indirect)

Injuries

3

Property damage

$200,000

Crop damage

$100,000

Events recorded

10 in 2 reports from 2 states and marine areas

State by state

What was recorded

6 high surf, 2 hurricane (typhoon), 1 tropical storm, 1 flood.

• Tropical Storm HannahWestern Pacific · 1997Tropical Storm50 kt
• Super Typhoon IsaWestern Pacific · 1997Cat 5145 kt · 940 mb
• Tropical Storm JimmyWestern Pacific · 1997Tropical Storm55 kt · 994 mb
• Tropical Storm KellyWestern Pacific · 1997Tropical Storm45 kt · 998 mb
• Tropical Storm LeviWestern Pacific · 1997Tropical Storm45 kt · 992 mb
• Typhoon MarieWestern Pacific · 1997Cat 290 kt · 965 mb
• Super Typhoon NestorWestern Pacific · 1997Cat 5140 kt · 930 mb
• Typhoon OpalWestern Pacific · 1997Cat 290 kt · 960 mb
• Typhoon PeterWestern Pacific · 1997Cat 170 kt · 968 mb
• Super Typhoon RosieWestern Pacific · 1997Cat 5140 kt · 920 mb
• Tropical Storm ScottWestern Pacific · 1997Tropical Storm55 kt · 988 mb
• Typhoon TinaWestern Pacific · 1997Cat 290 kt · 955 mb
• Typhoon VictorWestern Pacific · 1997Cat 165 kt · 980 mb
• Super Typhoon WinnieWestern Pacific · 1997Cat 5140 kt · 915 mb
• Typhoon YuleWestern Pacific · 1997Cat 165 kt · 980 mb
• Typhoon AmberWestern Pacific · 1997Cat 3110 kt · 950 mb
• Typhoon ZitaWestern Pacific · 1997Cat 175 kt · 980 mb
• Super Typhoon BingWestern Pacific · 1997Cat 4135 kt · 940 mb
• Tropical Storm CassWestern Pacific · 1997Tropical Storm45 kt · 992 mb
• Typhoon DavidWestern Pacific · 1997Cat 295 kt · 945 mb
• Typhoon FritzWestern Pacific · 1997Cat 175 kt · 980 mb
• Super Typhoon GingerWestern Pacific · 1997Cat 5145 kt · 925 mb
• Tropical Storm HankWestern Pacific · 1997Tropical Storm40 kt
• Unnamed tropical depressionWestern Pacific · 1997Tropical Depression30 kt
• Super Typhoon IvanWestern Pacific · 1997Cat 5160 kt · 905 mb
• Unnamed tropical stormWestern Pacific · 1997Tropical Storm55 kt
• Typhoon LindaWestern Pacific · 1997Cat 165 kt · 985 mb
• Super Typhoon KeithWestern Pacific · 1997Cat 5155 kt · 910 mb
• Typhoon MortWestern Pacific · 1997Cat 165 kt · 992 mb

A best track is the record a warning agency settles on after the storm, not what it said at the time: position, maximum sustained wind and central pressure every six hours, revised against every observation that came in later. Category is the Saffir-Simpson scale, which runs from Category 1 at 64 kt to Category 5 at 137 kt and reads wind only, so it says nothing about surge or rain. Accumulated cyclone energy adds up the square of the wind through the storm's life, so it counts strength and duration together.

Storm history from NOAA NCEI’s International Best Track Archive for Climate Stewardship (IBTrACS), which merges the official best track of every warning agency. Live storms, cones, watches and warnings from the National Hurricane Center and the Central Pacific Hurricane Center. Archived radar from NOAA’s Level II archive.

• Wikipedia article: Typhoon Joan