1962 Western Pacific typhoon season
Typhoon Karen 1962
Typhoon Karen devastated Guam in November 1962, damaging or destroying almost all of the island's homes. The storm crippled utilities and communications and left tens of thousands without shelter. Recovery brought a major relief operation and changes to building standards.
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184 mph
Nov 13, 1962 during the tropical stage
Full archive record, including non-tropical stages if present
Along the recorded center positions
STORM HISTORY
Rapid development before Guam
Karen developed southeast of Chuuk and intensified rapidly while moving north. It became a Category 5 equivalent by 9 November, then turned west toward Guam. The archive first records its maximum one-minute wind estimate of 160 kt at 00:00 UTC on 9 November.
Karen struck Guam on 11 November while still an exceptionally intense typhoon. It later strengthened again west of the island before turning north and northeast. The site's minimum archived pressure of 900 hPa occurs on 13 November.
An island without shelter and utilities
About 95 percent of Guam's homes suffered damage or destruction, leaving at least 45,000 people homeless. Authorities established water-distribution centers after utilities failed. The reported island losses reached US$250 million in 1962 dollars, with eleven deaths.
Evacuation and rebuilding
Relief crews evacuated thousands to California, Hawaii and Wake Island. Others stayed in public buildings and tent settlements for months. More than US$60 million in relief funding supported recovery over the following years, and rebuilding introduced stronger construction standards.
Further reading
QUICK ANSWERS
Karen in brief
What was Typhoon Karen's highest wind speed?
184 mph, the highest one-minute sustained wind in its tropical stage, recorded on Nov 9, 1962, 12:00 AM UTC.
What category was Typhoon Karen?
Category 5 at its peak on the Saffir–Simpson one-minute wind scale, first reaching Category 5 on Nov 8, 1962, 09:00 PM UTC. Other agencies classify storms differently.
What was Typhoon Karen's lowest pressure?
900 mb, the minimum central pressure recorded during its tropical stage, on Nov 13, 1962, 12:00 AM UTC.
When did Typhoon Karen occur?
The archived track runs from Nov 7, 1962, 06:00 AM UTC to Nov 18, 1962, 06:00 PM UTC, with the tropical stage from Nov 7, 1962, 06:00 AM UTC to Nov 18, 1962, 06:00 PM UTC.
Where did Typhoon Karen form?
In the Western Pacific basin, in the 1962 season. Its first archived position is 6°N, 154°E on Nov 7, 1962, 06:00 AM UTC.
Did Typhoon Karen make landfall?
No archived position places Typhoon Karen's center over land, but positions are six-hourly and a brief landfall can fall between them.
METHODOLOGY
Data sources and limitations
The map and summary are generated from NOAA's IBTrACS v04r01 archive. Wind and category use US-agency records; minimum pressure is calculated during the tropical stage, with the archive's pressure source retained. Category 5 refers to the Saffir–Simpson one-minute wind scale; local agencies may use different classifications. Coastlines use Natural Earth's 1:10m land data.
Track distance adds great-circle distances between consecutive observations, excluding gaps over 12 hours. This track has no gaps over 12 hours. The line shows the storm's center, not its size, rainfall or flood extent. Converted wind speeds are rounded to the nearest whole unit.
Archive retrieved
NOAA IBTrACS archive and Field documentation
Sources & methodology