TYPHOON

The Philippines' evident risk to natural disasters is due to its location. Being a country
that lies in the Pacific Ring of Fire, it is prone to earthquakes and volcanic eruptions. In
addition, the country is surrounded by large bodies of water and facing the Pacific Ocean
where 60% of the world's typhoons are made. One of the most devastating typhoons that hit
the Philippines in 2013 was Typhoon Haiyan, or "Yolanda", that killed over 10,000 people
and destroyed over a trillion pesos worth of properties and damage to various sectors. Other
environmental problems that the country is facing include pollution, illegal mining and
logging, deforestation, dynamite fishing, landslides, coastal erosion, wildlife extinction,
global warming and climate change.

What is a typhoon?
A typhoon is the same thing as a hurricane and a cyclone — the difference is in the location.

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Hurricanes occur in the Atlantic and Northeast Pacific. Typhoons, like Haiyan, are found in

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the Northwest Pacific Ocean. In the South Pacific and the Indian Ocean, the same type of

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storm is called a cyclone. But scientifically, they are all known as tropical cyclones.

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When there’s a bit of weather disturbance, a warm tropical ocean, moisture, and a light wind
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— conditions may be right to produce a cyclone. By whatever name, these storms can
produce violent winds and waves, torrential rains, and flooding.
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Baby claire, 9, a sponsored , stands near her home, which was smash by falling coconut palm

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 trees during typhoon Haiyan. Her family was saved by running a nearby community center.
-jon warren, 2013

Typhoon Haiyan made landfall in the Philippines on November 8, 2013, as a Category 5

storm. It laid waste to the Visayas group of islands, the country’s central region and home to
17 million people. Haiyan was the most powerful storm in 2013 and one of the most powerful
typhoons of all time.

With wind speeds sustained at more than 150 mph, Haiyan was classified as a super typhoon.
However, its massive storm surge was even more destructive. Local officials estimated that
Tacloban City on the island of Leyte was 90 percent destroyed.

The typhoon’s fury affected more than 14 million people across 44 provinces, displacing 4.1
million people, killing more than 6,000 people, and leaving 1,800 missing. In addition, 1.1

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million houses were either partially or totally damaged, 33 million coconut trees (a major

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source of livelihoods) were destroyed, and the livelihoods of 5.9 million workers were

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disrupted.

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Families carry home food, water and hygiene supplies from World Vision reliefs distribution

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 in Cebu. It was the first distribution to the community since the typhoon struck six days
before
-jon warren, 2013

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Typhoon Haiyan timeline:

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While typhoons can occur at any time of the year, the peak occurrence is in late August and
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early September. Typhoon Haiyan was the 13th named storm of 2013 in the Northwest
Pacific Basin.
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Nov. 2: The storm is detected as a low-pressure area in Micronesia.

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Nov. 4: The system is upgraded to a tropical storm and named Haiyan.

Nov. 6: The storm hits Palau and parts of Micronesia. After growing in intensity for days,
Typhoon Haiyan became a Category 5 storm, with wind speeds above 157 mph.
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Nov. 7: Haiyan enters the Philippines area; alerts, preparations, and evacuations intensify.
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Nov. 8: At 4:40 a.m., Haiyan makes landfall in Eastern Samar at peak capacity. It continues to
spread destruction through the Visayas, the Philippines’ central island group.
Nov. 9: The storm moves out into the South China Sea, heading toward Vietnam.
Nov. 10: Haiyan makes landfall in northeast Vietnam, much diminished, then disintegrates
into bands of rain over Guanxi, China.

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Fast facts: Typhoon Haiyan

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One of the most powerful storms ever tracked, Typhoon Haiyan was a “super typhoon” with
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sustained winds of over 150 mph.

Leyte Island was buffeted by sustained winds of 195 mph and gusts up to 235 mph.
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Not only was the storm powerful, but it also occurred after the official typhoon season’s
November 1 ending.
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More than 14 million people were affected by the Haiyan.

Typhoon Haiyan was called Super Typhoon Yolanda in the Philippines; it was given that
name by the country’s atmospheric sciences agency.

Why was Typhoon Haiyan a super typhoon?

Haiyan was called a super typhoon for part of its life because of it sustained winds of more
than 150 mph. Wind speed, however, is not the only factor that determines the destructiveness
of storms. Don’t forget about other associated hazards like storm surge, tornadoes, and
flooding.

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 BACK TO QUESTIONS

Is the Philippines a disaster-prone country?

The Philippines is one of the most disaster-prone countries in the world. The U.N.’s 2017
World Risk Index places the Philippines as the third most at risk of natural disasters among
the 171 countries ranked. Vanuatu and Tonga ranked first and second.

Not only is the Philippines at risk for disastrous weather events, but it is also in a hot zone for
earthquakes and tsunamis. In fact, only three weeks before Typhoon Haiyan, Bohol island
was hit by a 7.2 magnitude earthquake that affected 3 million people in Bohol and Cebu,
killing more than 200 people. Many families were still receiving aid and living in evacuation
shelters when a second catastrophe hit them — Typhoon Haiyan.

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