Report on the 2014 Winter Cyclone Storm Surge in Nemuro, Japan

From Tuesday, 16 December 2014, until Thursday, 18 December 2014, Hokkaido was battered by strong winds and high sea waves caused by a passing low pressure system intensified to typhoon levels. In the city of Nemuro, a rise in sea level influenced by the storm surge which exceeded quay height in port areas was observed from predawn Wednesday, 17 December 2014. Flooding was experienced in areas of central Nemuro, the Nemuro Port and estuaries of rivers. This technical note provides a comprehensive meteorological analysis and the results of a local flood survey carried out by the authors from 19 to 21 December 2014, and summarizes the characteristics of the 2014 Nemuro storm surge disaster.