from crop damage and $111 million from property damage. Following the storm, Philippines authorities initially distributed $4 million in aid but refused international aid. However, authorities reversed its decision on September 8 due to lack of local resources and started accepting foreign aid. In all, over $7.5 million was donated to the country to provide relief. Ike was the worst tropical cyclone to strike the Guangxi province in China since 1954, where 14 people were killed. Across the country, around 13,000 structures were damaged or destroyed. Nationwide, 46 people were killed and 12,000 ha (29,651 acres) of sugar cane were destroyed. About 1,315,420 kg (2,900,000 lb) of vegetables were lost. Elsewhere, two people were killed and seven were listed missing in Thailand due to flash flooding. Meteorological history The origins of Typhoon Ike can be traced back to an area of disturbed weather first identified as part of the region's monsoon trough southeast of Guam on August 21. Over the next few days, the disturbance failed to develop as a result of inhibiting wind shear which remained over the area. However, the shear quickly abated on August 25, allowing for convection to build and persist over the system's center of circulation; this prompted the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) to classify the system at 06:00 UTC on August 26 as a tropical depression. Later that day, the Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC) issued a Tropical Cyclone Formation Alert for the system, following a rapid increase in the system's organization. Tracking generally northward, it continued to improve in organization and became more compact, allowing both the JMA and the JTWC to upgrade the system to Tropical Storm Ike on August 27. Ike's track northward brought it southwest of Guam before the tropical storm stalled and turned towards the west-southwest on August 28 as a result of a subtropical ridge to its north. Initially, persistent wind shear limited intensification, but data from the JTWC suggested that Ike briefly attained typhoon status on August 29. By August 30, an upper-level anticyclone became established over the system, resulting in favorable conditions aloft, and Ike entered a second intensification phase. At midday, both the JTWC and JMA estimated that Ike attained typhoon status. On August 31, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) also monitored the storm and assigned it with the local name Nitang. Now assuming a more westerly bearing, Ike continued to