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Typhoon Nabi (), known in the Philippines as Super Typhoon Jolina, was a powerful typhoon that struck southwestern Japan in early September 2005. The 14th named storm of the 2005 Pacific typhoon season, Nabi formed on August 29 to the east of the Northern Mariana Islands. It moved westward and passed about north of Saipan on August 31 as an intensifying typhoon. On the next day, the Joint Typhoon Warning Center upgraded the storm to super typhoon status, with winds equivalent to that of a Category 5 hurricane on the Saffir–Simpson Hurricane Scale. The Japan Meteorological Agency estimated peak ten-minute winds of on September 2. Nabi weakened while curving to the north, striking the Japanese island of Kyushu on September 6. After brushing South Korea, the storm turned to the northeast, passing over Hokkaido before becoming extratropical on September 8, before dissipating on September 12.
The typhoon first affected the Northern Mariana Islands, where it left US$2.5 million in damage, while damaging or destroying 114 homes. The damage was enough to warrant a disaster declaration from the United States government. While passing near Okinawa Island, Nabi produced gusty winds and caused minor damage. Later, the western fringe of the storm caused several traffic accidents in Busan, South Korea, and throughout the country Nabi killed six people and caused US$115.4 million in damage. About 250,000 people evacuated along the Japanese island of Kyushu ahead of the storm, and there were disruptions to train, ferry, and airline services. In Kyushu, the storm left Japanese yen4.08 billion (US$36.9 million) in crop damage after dropping of rain over three days. During the storm's passage, there were 61 daily rainfall records broken by Nabi's precipitation. The rains caused flooding and landslides, forcing people to evacuate their homes and for businesses to close. Across Japan, Nabi killed 29 people and caused ¥94.9 billion (US$854 million) in damage. Soldiers, local governments, and insurance companies helped residents recover from the storm damage. After affecting Japan, the typhoon affected the Kuril Islands of Russia, where it dropped the equivalent of the monthly precipitation, while also causing road damage due to high waves. Overall, Nabi killed 35 people.
On August 31, Nabi passed about north-northeast of Saipan in the Northern Mariana Islands during its closest approach. The typhoon continued to intensify quickly as it moved to the west-northwest. On September 1, the JTWC upgraded the storm to a super typhoon and later estimated peak one-minute winds of ; this is the equivalent of a Category 5 on the Saffir–Simpson scale. By contrast, the JMA estimated peak ten-minute winds of on September 2, with a barometric pressure of . While at peak intensity, the typhoon developed a large wide eye. For about 36 hours, Nabi maintained its peak winds, during which it crossed into the area of responsibility of PAGASA; the Philippine-based agency gave it the local name "Jolina", although the storm remained away from the country.
On September 3, Nabi began weakening as it turned more to the north, the result of an approaching trough weakening the ridge. Later that day, the winds leveled off at , according to the JMA. On September 5, Nabi passed near Kitadaitōjima and Yakushima, part of the Daitō and Ōsumi island groups offshore southern Japan. Around that time, the JTWC estimated that the typhoon reintensified slightly to a secondary peak of . After turning due north, Nabi made landfall near Isahaya, Nagasaki around 05:00 UTC on September 6, after passing through the Amakusa of Kumamoto. Shortly thereafter, the storm entered the Sea of Japan. The typhoon turned to the northeast into the westerlies, influenced by a low over the Kamchatka Peninsula. At 18:00 UTC on September 6, the JTWC discontinued advisories on Nabi, declaring it extratropical, although the JMA continued tracking the storm. On the next day, Nabi moved across northern Hokkaido into the Sea of Okhotsk. The JMA declared the storm as extratropical on September 8, which continued eastward until the JMA ceased monitoring the storm's remnants on September 10, while situated south of the Aleutian Islands. The remnants of Nabi weakened and later moved into southwestern Alaska on September 12, dissipating soon afterward.
Ahead of the storm, United States Forces Japan evacuated planes from Okinawa to either Guam or mainland Japan to prevent damage. Officials at the military bases on Okinawa advised residents to remain inside during the storm's passage. While Nabi was turning to the north, the island was placed under a Condition of Readiness 2. At the military base in Sasebo, ships also evacuated, and several buildings were closed after a Condition of Readiness 1 was declared.
In Kyushu, officials evacuated over a quarter of a million people in fear of Typhoon Nabi affecting Japan. These continued after the storm made landfall to protect residents from flood waters and landslides. The first order during the storm took place in the Arita district. In Miyazaki City, 21,483 households were evacuated following reports of significant overflow on the nearby river. Another 10,000 residences were vacated in Nobeoka following similar reports. The entirety of the West Japan Railway Company was shut down. Canceled train services affected 77,800 people on Shikoku. Ferry service was also shut down, cutting off transportation for tens of thousands of people. In addition, at least 723 flights were cancelled because of the storm. Japan's second-largest refinery, Idemitsu Kosan, stopped shipments to other refineries across the area, and Japan's largest refinery, Nippon Oil, stopped all sea shipments. The Cosmo Oil Company, Japan's fourth largest refinery, stopped all shipments to Yokkaichi and Sakaide refineries. About 700 schools in the country were closed. Approximately 1,500 soldiers were dispatched to Tokyo to help coastal areas prepare for Typhoon Nabi's arrival, and to clean up after the storm. Officials in the Miyazaki Prefecture issued a flood warning for expected heavy rains in the area.
In South Korea, the government issued a typhoon warning for the southern portion of the country along the coast, prompting the airport at Pohang to close, and forcing 162 flights to be canceled. Ferry service was also disrupted, and thousands of boats returned to port. The storm also prompted 138 schools to close in the region. Earlier, the storm spurred fears of a possible repeat of either typhoon Typhoon Rusa in 2002 or Typhoon Maemi in 2003, both of which were devastating storms in South Korea. Officials in the Russian Far East issued a storm warning for Vladivostok, advising boats to remain at port.
Later in its duration, Nabi brushed southeastern South Korea with rainbands. Ulsan recorded a 24‑hour rainfall total of , while Pohang recorded a record 24‑hour total of . The highest total was of rainfall. The periphery of the storm produced gusts of in the port city of Busan, strong enough to damage eight billboards and knock trees over. Heavy rains caused several traffic accidents and injuries in Busan, while strong waves washed a cargo ship ashore in Pohang. Throughout South Korea, the storm led to six fatalities and caused US$115.4 million in damages.
In the Kuril Islands of Russia, Nabi dropped about of rain, equivalent to the monthly average. Gusts reached , weak enough not to cause major damage. During the storm's passage, high waves washed away unpaved roads in Severo-Kurilsk.
While moving through western Japan, Nabi dropped heavy rainfall that totaled over a three-day period in Miyazaki Prefecture, the equivalent to nearly three times the average annual precipitation. The same station in Miyazaki reported a 24‑hour rainfall total of , as well as an hourly total of . Within the main islands of Japan, Nabi dropped of rainfall per hour in the capital Tokyo.
During the storm's passage, there were 61 daily rainfall records broken by Nabi's precipitation across Japan. The rains from Nabi caused significant landslide and large accumulations of driftwood. The amount of sediment displaced by the rains was estimated at 4,456 m3/km2, over four times the yearly average. A total of of driftwood was recorded. However, the rainfall also helped to end water restrictions in Kagawa and Tokushima prefectures. In addition to the heavy rainfall, Nabi produced gusty winds on the Japan mainland, peaking at in Muroto. A station on Tobishima in the Sea of Japan recorded a gust of . The typhoon spawned a Fujita scale tornado in Miyazaki, which damaged several buildings. In Wajima, Ishikawa, Nabi produced a Foehn wind, causing temperatures to rise quickly.
Throughout Japan, Nabi caused damage in 31 of the 47 prefectures, leaving over 270,000 residences without power. Torrential rains caused flooding and landslides throughout the country. The storm destroyed 7,452 houses and flooded 21,160 others. Several car assembly plants were damaged in southwestern Japan, while others were closed due to power outages, such as Toyota, Mazda, and Mitsubishi. In addition, the storm wrecked about 81 ships along the coast. On the island of Kyushu, damage in Ōita Prefecture on Kyushu reached ¥11.7 billion (US$106 million), the fifth highest of any typhoon in the preceding 10 years; about 20% of the total there was related to road damages. In nearby Saga Prefecture, crop damage totaled about ¥1.06 billion (US$9.6 million), mostly to rice but also to soybeans and various other vegetables. Crop damage as a whole on Kyushu totaled ¥4.08 billion (US$36.9 million).
In the capital city of Tokyo, heavy rainfall increased levels along several rivers, which inundated several houses. Strong winds damaged ¥28.8 million (US$259,000) in crop damage in Gifu Prefecture, and ¥27.1 million (US$244,000) in crop damage in Osaka. In Yamaguchi Prefecture on western Honshu, Nabi damaged a portion of the historical Kintai Bridge, originally built in 1674. In Yamagata Prefecture, the winds damaged a window in a school, injuring several boys from the debris. One person was seriously injured in Kitakata, Fukushima after strong winds blew a worker from scaffolding of a building under construction. Effects from Nabi spread as far north as Hokkaido, where heavy rainfall damaged roads and caused hundreds of schools to close. In Ashoro, an overflown river flooded a hotel, and a minor power outage occurred in Teshikaga.
Ahead of the storm, high waves and gusty winds led to one drowning when a woman was knocked off a ferry in Takamatsu, Kagawa. A landslide in Miyazaki destroyed five homes, killing three people. A man who was listed as missing was found dead in a flooded rice field. In Tarumi, a landslide buried a home in mud, killing two people. Nabi caused a portion of the San'yō Expressway to collapse in Yamaguchi Prefecture, killing three people. In Fukui Prefecture, the winds knocked an elderly man off a bicycle, killing him. Overall, Nabi killed 29 people in Japan and injured 179 others, 45 of them severely. Damage was estimated at ¥94.9 billion (US$854 million).
On November 8, nearly two months after the dissipation of Typhoon Nabi, President George W. Bush declared a major disaster declaration for the Northern Mariana islands. The declaration allocated aid from the United States to help restore damaged buildings, pay for debris removal, and other emergency services. Federal funding was also made available on a cost-sharing basis for the islands to mitigate against future disasters. The government ultimately provided $1,046,074.03 to the commonwealth.
Due to the similar pronunciation to the word "prophets" in Arabic, and the conflict of religious views, the Typhoon Committee of the World Meteorological Organization agreed to retire the name Nabi. The agency replaced it with the name Doksuri, effective January 1, 2007, and was first used during the 2012 Pacific typhoon season.
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