Cyclone destroys more than 30 houses and injures 3 people in Rayong

A 20-meter high cyclone has hit Rayong province yesterday, destroying more than 30 residences and injuring three.

The cyclone hit the province at 1:30 PM yesterday(October 30), immediately affecting citizens in Ta Guan (ตากวน) community along the Pradu (ประดู่) Gulf. More than 30 houses were destroyed by the cyclone that tore through the Maptaphut Municipality and injured two adults and one child. The cyclone, which was reported to be over 20 meters high kicked up debris comprised of tiles as it moved through the residential area. Citizens stated that the event took place so quickly they were unable to evacuate.

Mayor of Maptaphut Somphong Sophon (สมพงษ์ โสภณ) and Head of Rayong Office for Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Suthep Ruenthawin (สุเทพ รื่นถวิล) revealed that authorities of have begun to erect tents in two areas to aid citizens while damage appraisals are being conducted.

Source: National News Bureau of Thailand - 31 October 2008

I'm assuming the word cyclone is being used to mean a wind vortex like a tornado? If so, how does one measure its height? I always thought they were something descending from (and attached to) clouds. Do they appear independently at a height of, say, 20 meters?

I've been trying to understand for a couple of days what a 20mtr high cyclone is, I think it's just poor reporting though.

Very sad for the people that got hit though, whatever it was.

Any more information on what exactly this was--a rogue wave, a very localized storm, etc. would be appreciated.

My thoughts are with those who have been affected by this.

I used to live in the Nevada desert, and we had a phenomenon called "dust devils" which were localized wind vortices whipping up the desert sand, but did little property damage. They were, I believe, caused by the high heat and resultant convective air currents somehow. When I posted above, I was actually wondering if there were a tropical equivalent to the desert dust devils. If so, they seem quite a bit more dangerous.

Sounds like a tornado.

Isn't a cyclone essentially the same as a hurricane or typhoon, just different ocean of origin?

From Wiki answers dot com:

Cyclone or Tornado?

A cyclone is a large-scale atmospheric vortex, characterized by low central pressure and counterclockwise rotation in the Northern Hemisphere -- or clockwise in the Southern Hemisphere.

This could be a tropical cyclone, known as a hurricane or typhoon; or an extratropical cyclone, which doesn't really have a name, but is the major weather disturbance in the mid-latitudes.

A tornado, on the other hand, is a powerful small-scale vortex associated with a thunderstorm.

However, in some places they use "cyclone" to describe what everybody else calls a "tornado."