Typhoon Rusa strikes
Typhoon Rusa was the most powerful typhoon to strike South Korea in 43 years. It was the 21st JTWC tropical depression, the 15th named storm, and the 10th typhoon of the 2002 Pacific typhoon season. It developed on August 22 from the monsoon trough in the northwestern Pacific Ocean, well to the southeast of Japan. A 24-hour total of 880 mm (35 in) in the city broke the record for the highest daily precipitation in the country; however, the heaviest rainfall was localized. Over 17,000 houses were damaged, and large areas of crop fields were flooded. In South Korea, Rusa killed at least 233 people, making it the deadliest typhoon there in over 43 years, and caused $4.2 billion in damage.
The Petronas Towers opened
Located in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Petronas Towers are a pair of 88-storey supertall skyscrapers. They stand at 451.9 metres (1,483 feet), height that made them the tallest buildings in the world from 1998 to 2004. Their structural system is a tube in tube design, invented by architect Fazlur Rahman Khan.
Docklands Light Railway opened
The automated light metro system Docklands Light Railway (DLR) has been extended multiple times, giving a total route length of 38 km (24 miles). It provides a direct connection between London's two major financial districts, Canary Wharf and the City of London.
1886 Charleston earthquake
The 1886 Charleston earthquake in South Carolina occurred about 9:50 p.m. local time August 31. It caused 60 deaths and $5-6 million ($179.14 million in 2022) in damage to 2,000 buildings in the Southeastern United States. It is one of the most powerful and damaging earthquakes to hit the East Coast of the United States. Scientists have classified it as an intraplate earthquake, and said that it had an estimated moment magnitude of 6.9-7.3 and a maximum Mercalli intensity of X (Extreme). Very little to no historical earthquake activity had occurred in this region, which is unusual for any seismic area.
