Super Typhoon Melor (2009)

Basin

Western Pacific

Dates

September 28, 2009 to October 11, 2009

Peak strength

Category 5, 150 kt (173 mph)

Lowest pressure

911 mb (26.90 inHg)

Landfall

Yes

Accumulated cyclone energy

40.3

Tropical-storm-force wind reached

225 nmi (417 km, 259 mi) from the center at its widest

Hurricane-force wind reached

95 nmi (176 km, 109 mi) from the center at its widest

Eyewall radius at its peak

15 nmi (28 km, 17 mi)

Overall size

495 nmi (917 km, 570 mi) to the outermost closed isobar

Peak gust in the best track

135 kt (155 mph)

Fastest the center moved

36 kt (41 mph)

Identifier

WP202009

Radar at RODN as it neared land, Oct 6, 18:00 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

0

Property damage

$332,000

Crop damage

none recorded

Events recorded

21 in 3 reports from 2 states and marine areas

State by state

What was recorded

16 heavy rain, 3 high wind, 1 flood, 1 tropical storm.

The strongest winds National Weather Service offices recorded with this storm. An estimated figure is a forecaster’s judgment from the damage, not an instrument reading.

From the Storm Events narratives, unedited.

Redding Airport recorded 1.37 inches of rainfall on the 13th. Clear Lake (3300 feet elevation) recorded 7.52 inches of rain in the 24 hour period ending at 5 pm on the 13th. Several automated gages and CoCoRaHS observers in the higher elevations of northern Shasta County reported storm total rainfall amounts on the 13th and 14th exceeding 12 inches. Several storm gutters and drains were clogged in Redding, with some local street flooding occurring. There were gusty winds up to 51 mph, with large numbers of trees and branches reported down in Shasta County, causing at hundreds of customers to lose power. A number of cars were damaged by falling trees. Snow caused the closure of Highway 89 in Lassen Volcanic National Park, where there was more than 6 inches of accumulation at 8,500 feet elevation.

Shasta, California · Heavy Rain · Oct 13, 08:00 UTC

Modesto Airport recorded 1.57 inches of rainfall on the 13th, which was a record for the date. This broke the old record of 0.76 inches set in 1962. The heavy rain caused minor street flooding, primarily as a result of clogged storm drains. Strong, gusty winds peaking at 47 mph at Modesto Airport brought down hundreds of trees, large tree branches, and power lines resulting in power outages in Stanislaus County. Falling trees also badly damaged numerous cars and houses.

Stanislaus, California · Heavy Rain · Oct 13, 08:00 UTC

• Typhoon KujiraWestern Pacific · 2009Cat 4115 kt · 937 mb
• Typhoon Chan-HomWestern Pacific · 2009Cat 290 kt · 956 mb
• Typhoon LinfaWestern Pacific · 2009Cat 175 kt · 967 mb
• Tropical Storm NangkaWestern Pacific · 2009Tropical Storm45 kt · 988 mb
• Tropical Storm SoudelorWestern Pacific · 2009Tropical Storm35 kt · 996 mb
• Unnamed tropical depressionWestern Pacific · 2009Tropical Depression30 kt · 1000 mb
• Typhoon MolaveWestern Pacific · 2009Cat 165 kt · 974 mb
• Tropical Storm GoniWestern Pacific · 2009Tropical Storm45 kt · 988 mb
• Typhoon MorakotWestern Pacific · 2009Cat 180 kt · 954 mb
• Tropical Storm EtauWestern Pacific · 2009Tropical Storm40 kt · 992 mb
• Typhoon VamcoWestern Pacific · 2009Cat 4120 kt · 933 mb
• Typhoon KrovanhWestern Pacific · 2009Cat 165 kt · 974 mb
• Tropical Storm DujuanWestern Pacific · 2009Tropical Storm50 kt · 980 mb
• Tropical Depression MujigaeWestern Pacific · 2009Tropical Depression30 kt · 998 mb
• Typhoon KoppuWestern Pacific · 2009Cat 175 kt · 967 mb
• Super Typhoon Choi-WanWestern Pacific · 2009Cat 5140 kt · 918 mb
• Typhoon KetsanaWestern Pacific · 2009Cat 290 kt · 955 mb
• Unnamed tropical depressionWestern Pacific · 2009Tropical Depression30 kt · 999 mb
• Super Typhoon ParmaWestern Pacific · 2009Cat 4135 kt · 922 mb
• Tropical Storm NepartakWestern Pacific · 2009Tropical Storm55 kt · 982 mb
• Super Typhoon LupitWestern Pacific · 2009Cat 5140 kt · 918 mb
• Unnamed tropical depressionWestern Pacific · 2009Tropical Depression
• Typhoon MirinaeWestern Pacific · 2009Cat 290 kt · 956 mb
• Unnamed tropical depressionWestern Pacific · 2009Tropical Depression25 kt · 1004 mb
• Unnamed tropical stormWestern Pacific · 2009Tropical Storm45 kt · 989 mb
• Unnamed tropical depressionWestern Pacific · 2009Tropical Depression30 kt · 1000 mb
• Super Typhoon NidaWestern Pacific · 2009Cat 5155 kt · 907 mb
• Unnamed tropical depressionWestern Pacific · 2009Tropical Depression
• Unnamed tropical stormWestern Pacific · 2009Tropical Storm35 kt · 996 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 Melor