How Devastating Was Super Typhoon Haiyan to the Philippines?

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Super Typhoon Haiyan, also known as Yolanda, has been classified as one of the most powerful storms ever recorded, with winds reaching 300 km/h and storm surges up to 5 meters. The typhoon is expected to make landfall in the Northern Leyte area of the Philippines, threatening Leyte, Samar, and the Central Visayas region. Initial reports indicate that the storm has devastated coastal villages, with a death toll projected to exceed 10,000, particularly in Tacloban, where significant destruction has occurred. The storm's impact has led to widespread communication failures, leaving many families unable to contact loved ones. Despite the catastrophic conditions, some areas, like Iloilo, experienced less severe effects due to geographical protections. The discussion highlights the urgency of relief efforts and the ongoing risks posed by subsequent storms in the region.
nsaspook
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What a monster! I've seen what even a weak storm can do to entire villages in the Philippines but this is off the scale big.

http://weather.com.ph/announcements/super-typhoon-haiyan-yolanda-update-number-007

HAIYAN (YOLANDA) becomes an Extremely Catastrophic Super Typhoon and is considered as the most powerful of all Super Typhoons for 2013...now endangers Leyte and Samar Provinces..as well as the whole of Central Visayas. The potential landfall area of this super typhoon is likely along the Northern Leyte on or before noontime Friday, November 08.
http://weather.com.ph/images/20131106232906.GIF
 
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I'm amazed, too, spook. This could be bad :frown:.
 
Yeah, big storm hitting islands is never good.
 
Sadly, as I type this, its going right across where my parents inlaw and other family members and friends live :(
They are in the city of Iloilo on Panay, Western Visayas
there no phones or internet so we don't know how they are doing

Dave
 
quoting from above...
HAIYAN (YOLANDA) becomes an Extremely Catastrophic Super Typhoon and is considered as the most powerful of all Super Typhoons for 2013...now endangers Leyte and Samar Provinces..as well as the whole of Central Visayas. The potential landfall area of this super typhoon is likely along the Northern Leyte on or before noontime Friday, November 08.

as an update, they are now saying this is the strongest typhoon on record (not just for 2013).
300 km/hr winds and storm surges of up to 5 metres along the eastern coastal regions


Dave
 
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davenn said:
quoting from above...


as an update, they are now saying this is the strongest typhoon on record (not just for 2013).
300 km/hr winds and storm surges of up to 5 metres along the eastern coastal regions


Dave
The news last night said that there were also waves as high as 50 feet. Not going to be a good day for the Philippines.
 
The death toll is expected to top 10,000.
http://ca.news.yahoo.com/least-10-0...uper-typhoon-official-015511358--finance.html

TACLOBAN, Philippines (Reuters) - One of the most powerful storms ever recorded killed at least 10,000 people in the central Philippines, a senior police official said on Sunday, with huge waves sweeping away coastal villages and devastating one of the main cities in the region.

Super typhoon Haiyan destroyed about 70 to 80 percent of structures in its path as it tore through Leyte province on Friday, said police chief superintendent Elmer Soria, before weakening and heading west for Vietnam.

http://youtu.be/Ke6ureLcpkk

http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/video/nation/regions/11/10/13/first-look-destruction-guiuan-samar
 
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http://news.yahoo.com/philippine-typhoon-deaths-climb-thousands-092323892.html
TACLOBAN, Philippines (AP) — As many as 10,000 people are believed dead in one Philippine city alone after one of the worst storms ever recorded unleashed ferocious winds and giant waves that washed away homes and schools. . . .
. . .
Typhoon Haiyan appears to be the deadliest natural disaster on record.
. . . .
. . . packing winds of 235 kilometers per hour (147 miles per hour) that gusted to 275 kph (170 mph), and a storm surge that caused sea waters to rise 6 meters (20 feet).
. . . .

http://news.yahoo.com/philippine-typhoon-deaths-climb-thousands-092323892.html
 
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  • #10
A picture of the storm from space before Philippine landfall.
Large image: http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3819/10726056545_52700f143c_o.png

http://www.newrepublic.com/article/115518/super-typhoon-haiyan-among-strongest-ever

It’s not often that the classification “Super Typhoon”—the equivalent of a strong Category 4 or 5 Hurricane, like Katrina or Andrew—fails to convey the intensity of a tropical cyclone. But “Haiyan,” a Super Typhoon about to make landfall over the Philippines, is no ordinary Super Typhoon. Haiyan makes Katrina look like a run-of-the-mill storm. It may be the most intense tropical storm in recorded history. But there’s a catch: We may never know for sure.
 
  • #11
davenn said:
Sadly, as I type this, its going right across where my parents inlaw and other family members and friends live :(
They are in the city of Iloilo on Panay, Western Visayas
there no phones or internet so we don't know how they are doing

Dave

I know it's probably too early, but have you heard anything? I've been thinking of you, your wife, and her folks there :frown:.
 
  • #12
From a Slatest article:

"Authorities in the Philippines earlier warned that 12 million people were at risk, including Cebu City, which has a population of about 2.5 million, and areas that are still recovering from a deadly 2011 storm and a 7.2-magnitude quake last month."

:frown:
 
  • #13
Good god...
I hope Ruby May, the child I've been sponsoring through Childfund, is safe.
 
  • #15
For those who need to contact family and friends.
http://www.katu.com/news/national/ATT-Verizon-waive-fees-to-contact-Philippines--231642431.html

NEW YORK (AP) — AT&T and Verizon are offering free calls and texts to the Philippines for customers trying to contact friends and family there in the wake of Typhoon Haiyan.
 
  • #16
lisab said:
I know it's probably too early, but have you heard anything? I've been thinking of you, your wife, and her folks there :frown:.

Hi Lisa

thankyou for your thoughts :)

Yes, we finally heard from them on Tuesday, 12th. Once power and phones had been restored ... thankfully all ok.
Their city, altho on the east coast of their island, was protected from the storm surges by the island to the east of them ( ie., they don't face open ocean)

There was a lot of heavy rain induced flooding and gale-force wind damage in their area
but nothing like the damage seen on the ocean facing islands to the east.

cheers
Dave
 
  • #17
davenn said:
Hi Lisa

thankyou for your thoughts :)

Yes, we finally heard from them on Tuesday, 12th. Once power and phones had been restored ... thankfully all ok.
Their city, altho on the east coast of their island, was protected from the storm surges by the island to the east of them ( ie., they don't face open ocean)

There was a lot of heavy rain induced flooding and gale-force wind damage in their area
but nothing like the damage seen on the ocean facing islands to the east.

cheers
Dave

Glad to hear it :smile:!

Time and again, when these big storms hit it's the storm surge that does the most damage.
 
  • #18
Some images of US assistance to victims:

http://www.navy.mil/management/photodb/webphoto/web_131116-N-TE278-086.JPG
http://www.navy.mil/management/photodb/webphoto/web_131116-N-BX824-039.JPG
http://www.navy.mil/management/photodb/webphoto/web_131116-N-ZZ999-001.JPG
http://www.navy.mil/management/photodb/webphoto/web_131118-A-YA415-317.JPG
http://www.navy.mil/viewGallery.asp?id=171&r=4&page=1
 
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