Cyclone Martin

Meteorological history

On October 27, 1997 the Fiji Meteorological Service started to monitor a weak tropical disturbance, that had developed to the north of the Northern Cook Islands. Over the next few days atmospheric convection surrounding the system remained disorganised, as the system moved to the southwest and was affected by strong upper-level north-easterly winds and moderate to strong vertical wind shear. Late on October 30, the United States Naval Pacific Meteorology and Oceanography Center (NPMOC) designated the disturbance as Tropical Cyclone 04P, as it had become a tropical depression. During the next day the system started to show a marked improvement in organisation and began rapidly developing, before RSMC Nadi named it Martin at 1500 UTC after it had developed into a category 1 tropical cyclone on the Australian tropical cyclone intensity scale. When it was named, Martin was located about 500 km (310 mi) to the west of Manihiki Atoll in the Northern Cook Islands and had started to re-curve and move towards the south-east during that day. Early on November 1, RSMC Nadi reported that the system had become a category 2 tropical cyclone on the Australian scale, before the NPMOC reported that Martin had become equivalent to a category one hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson hurricane wind scale (SSHWS). During that day as the cyclone season officially started, Martin continued to intensify and became a category 3 severe tropical cyclone on the Australian scale, as it passed about 150 km (95 mi) to the south of Manihiki.

During November 2, the system continued to intensify as it moved towards the southeast and became equivalent to a category 2 hurricane on the SSHWS, as it moved towards the French Polynesian Society Islands of Bellingshausen, Mopelia and Scilly. During the next day, Martin passed near the Society Islands as it developed an 17 km (10 mi) eye, before RSMC Nadi reported at 06:00 UTC that the system had peaked as a category 3 severe tropical cyclone with 10-minute sustained wind speeds of 155 km/h (100 mph). The NPMOC also reported at around that time that Martin had peaked with 1-minute sustained windspeeds of 185 km/h (115 mph), which made it equivalent to a category 3 hurricane on the SSHWS. After peaking in intensity Martin started to weaken, as it interacted with a frontal system and started to accelerate towards the south-southeast. During November 4, Martin passed within 250 km (160 mi) of Tahiti as it became a category 2 tropical cyclone and started to transition into an extratropical cyclone. Later that day, the NPMOC issued their final advisory on system as it had become equivalent to a tropical depression, vertically sheared with its surface center dislocated about 110 km (70 mi) from its upper level center. During November 5, Martin weakened below tropical cyclone intensity, before it was last noted on November 8 in the Southeastern Pacific ocean over 1,800 km (1,120 mi) to the southeast of Adamstown in the Pitcairn Islands.

Preparations, impact and aftermath

Martin caused significant damage and 28 deaths as it affected the Cook Islands and French Polynesia, while the name was retired from the lists of tropical cyclone names for the region due to the impact of this system.

Martin was quite destructive at Manihiki Atoll. When the centre was closest to the island, the automatic weather station reported a lowest pressure of 994hPa, sustained winds of 20 m/s, and a highest gust of 29 m/s. However, this was the last meteorological report from the station before it was destroyed by storm surge. There were 10 fatalities recorded on Manihiki with 10 more persons reported missing and presumed drowned by the Cook Islands Coroner. Almost every building on the island was destroyed by the storm surge. Within the Cook Islands, Martin was the deadliest known tropical cyclone to affect the Cook Islands in over a century, after it caused 19 deaths within the Islands.

The Cook Islands Coroner: Nooapii Tearea held an inquest on the island of Manihiki during June 11, 2007, over the fates of seven people who were reported missing after the system. As a result of these inquests, the coroner ruled that according to the evidence given, the seven had died. The three other people who were left missing after Martin, had their deaths registered during 2004.