Tropical Storm Pulasan

Tropical Storm Pulasan (Helen)

Pulasan approaching eastern China on September 18
Meteorological history
Formed	September 15, 2024
Extratropical	September 21, 2024
Dissipated	September 27, 2024
Tropical storm
10-minute sustained (JMA)
Highest winds	85 km/h (50 mph)
Lowest pressure	992 hPa (mbar); 29.29 inHg
Tropical storm
1-minute sustained (SSHWS/JTWC)
Highest winds	110 km/h (70 mph)
Lowest pressure	995 hPa (mbar); 29.38 inHg
Overall effects
Fatalities	17
Injuries	47
Missing	12
Damage	$4.15 million (2024 USD)
Areas affected	Philippines, Eastern China, South Korea, Japan (especially Ishikawa Prefecture), British Columbia
Part of the 2024 Pacific typhoon season

Tropical Storm Pulasan, known in the Philippines as Tropical Storm Helen, was a tropical cyclone that impacted East China, Japan, South Korea and the Philippines in September 2024. Pulasan developed over the Philippine Sea as a tropical depression on September 15 and strengthened into the fourteenth named storm of the annual typhoon season the following day. After gaining organization, the system rapidly developed and reached its peak intensity with winds of 85 km/h (50 mph) and a central pressure of 992 hPa (29.29 inHg). Pulasan then turned northwestward, eventually moving across Okinawa Island and making landfall in Zhoushan, Zhejiang, followed by a second landfall in Shanghai, just days after Typhoon Bebinca affected the Shanghai area on September 19. Pulasan reemerged over the East China Sea, just off the coast of China. By September 21, Pulasan had transitioned into an extratropical low as it moved east-northeastward and became embedded within the polar front jet to the north, passing over southern South Korea. The extratropical storm entered the Sea of Japan on September 22, crossed the Tōhoku region, and then emerged into the Pacific Ocean while being absorbed by another extratropical cyclone. The extratropical remnants of Pulasan were last noted by the Japan Meteorological Agency on September 24 near the International Dateline; however, the Ocean Prediction Center indicated that these remnants crossed the International Dateline and entered the Central North Pacific Ocean late on September 25. Afterward, the remnants gradually approached the coast of British Columbia, making landfall on September 27 and dissipating after moving inland the same day.

In China, more than 300 mm (12 in) of rainfall was recorded in Fengxian and Pudong Districts within a six-hour period, breaking historical records for each district since meteorological observations began. Xinhua reported that the city evacuated 112,000 people and suspended some ferry and train services. Heavy rains caused by Pulasan triggered widespread landslides and flooding in the Noto Peninsula, causing extensive damage that exacerbated the effects of the 2024 Noto earthquake, which devastated the region in January. In South Korea, the cities of Changwon, Yeosu and Busan recorded 519.2 mm (20.44 in), 399.5 mm (15.73 in) and 390.2 mm (15.36 in) of rainfall, respectively, on September 21. The remnants of Pulasan caused 15,000 customers to lose power, primarily on Vancouver Island, especially in Campbell River and Courtenay. In total, the tropical storm caused at least 17 deaths, 47 injuries, and left 12 people missing.