Tropical Storm in Guam, July 1 to 3, 2001

A weak circulation formed on the monsoon trough south of Chuuk on about June 26th. The circulation moved westward over the next few days and gradually strengthened to become Tropical Depression 06W at 1900 local on the 1st. At this time the tropical depression was located near 7N 138E or 195 miles east of Palau. The system continued to intensify and became Tropical Storm Utor on the afternoon ofthe 2nd. At this time Utor was 100 miles northwest of Yap. The tropical storm continued to move to the northwest and away from Yap and Palau. Utor was 184 miles northwest of Yap by the evening of the 2nd. The track of the tropical cyclone took it between Yap and Palau. Heavy rain and gusty winds were experienced at both locations as cyclone passed by. Max sustained winds at the weather service office in Koror Palau were 35 mph with gust to 65 mph on July 2nd. The greatest rainfall recorded during the storm passage was at the Weather Service Office on Palau with 10.18 inches falling during a 24-hour period from the 1st to the 2nd. Total rainfall recorded for the entire storm passage was 13.24 inches from the morning of the 1st to the evening of the 2nd. Gusty winds and heavy rains from Utor caused disruption across Palau. The heavy rainfall resulted in mudslides, which damaged 15 roads in Koror, Palau. The mudslides also affected water pipes, sewage pipes and underground telephone lines. Several electrical transmission lines were damaged from fallen trees resulting in an island-wide blackout. The gusty winds also knocked down numerous tresses across Palau. In Ngeremlengui State, a key bridge in the Ngermeskang Bridge, locally known as Koba Bridge, was washed away during the storm, cutting off traffic from northwest Babeldaob toward the south, including Koror. On the West Coast, a section of the public road Between Nekken and the Koksai junction were damaged by the storm. 47 residential homes were damaged across Palau. The estimated cost to fix these homes amounted to $417,000. Many of the houses were of wood and tin roof construction. A few of the houses had their roofs blown off. In addition to the roof damage, some houses received water damage after the heavy rain poured through the damaged roof. A landslide occurred in the vicinity of the U.S Embassy. The landslide eroded 38 meters of paved road and one half of the road width near the embassy. In Olluu, Angaur a breadfruit tree fell on top of the Catholic Church and in Ngaramas, Angaur a Mountain Apple tree fell on the Old Age Center. The force of the waves damaged the docks at Ngardmau and Rois, Angaur. Waves also caused damage to a seawall at Ngaremlengui beach in Ngermetengel. Landslides caused damage to fiber optic and copper communication cables that were buried at the side of some roadways. The fiber optic cable carries much of the islands communication and is linked to an earth station at Meyuns. With the fiber optic cable severed by the landslide, Palau lost much of its communication with the rest of the world. Limited access via the copper cable was possible. Costto fix the communication problem was about $26,000. Crops were also affected throughout Palau. Depending on location crops received varying amounts of damage. Cassava plants were between 30 to 85 % damaged. Bananas between 25 to 85% mainly young and mature fruit bearing trees Taro between 10 to 90% some damaged from salt water intrusion and other from fresh water flooding. Betel nut 2 to 60 % Papaya 2 to 70% mainly young and mature fruit bearing trees Pineapple 10 to 30 % Sugar Cane 10 to 30% Sour sop 35 % in one state, no reports from others. Mango and breadfruit 5% in one state, no reports from others. Lemon 20% in one state, no reports from others. Coconut and Pandanus 20% in one state, no reports from others. One Tapioca farm was flooded, but unknown damage amount. Yap had 30 mph with gust to 50 mph. An automated weather station on Ulithi, an island to the northeast of Yap had gust to 55 mph on the 2nd. An automated weather station on Ngulu, an island to the south of Yap recorded a gust to 40 mph on the second. The lowest sea level pressure recorded was 991.2 mb on Yap on the morning of the 2nd. On Yap exposed beaches on the south and southwest side of the island was eroded due to high surf. About 10 percent of the road along the beachfront was washed away on the southwest side of the island. These areas are susceptible to damage from high surf, especially from southerly winds because the reefs are close to the shoreline. Riverbanks and low-lying areas on Yap were flooded. A few banana trees and some weak tree branches were damaged. Some tin-roofed structures that were in open areas had were blown off. A few termite infested houses collapsed. No injuries or deaths were reported in Palau or Yap as a result of Tropical Storm Utor's passage through the area.