The Philippines is the most typhoon-visited country in the world with an average of 19-20 tropical cyclones enter the country's area of responsibility every year. The most was 32 in 1993 and the lowest was 11 in 1998. Half of its annual rainfall and a large part of its annual climate is influenced by these storms. With a dense population mostly concentrated on low-lying coasts, these fierce natural event kills many and leaves trails of devastation one after the other.
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| Typhoon Pedring (Nesat) spawns a big storm surge over Manila in 2011. |
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| Tacloban City, Leyte was gutted by Typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan) in 2013 killing thousands. |
Typhoons have repeatedly broken records one after the other since official records were written in the country. Weather Philippines in cooperation with typhoon2000.com presents the record breaking storms of the Philippines since 1945.
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| Tracks of the Worst Typhoons 1945 - 2014. Click map to enlarge |
@ - the worst natural disaster in the Philippines since the 1976 Moro Gulf Earthquake and Tsunami, and the 1991 Ormoc Flood from Tropical Storm URING (Thelma). Broke records also for the most number of people affected (16.078 million) in a total of 44 provinces and set a record sustained velocity of winds greater than 250 kph in 72 hours through Central Philippines (Samar to Culion Island)
1
– a total of 7,361
dead if we include the missing, and presumed dead from
a gigantic storm surge brought by YOLANDA. The damage was concentrated mostly on infrastructure and facilities of chief
fishing ports, coco-palm oil refineries, marine reserves, world-class island
resorts and dive sites. Power fluctuations on all areas of the Visayas
continued for months since the typhoon damaged the Tongonan Geothermal Power
Plant of the National Grid Corporation Of the Philippines in Leyte
2
– had a very erratic movement causing numerous
forecasting errors, catching millions off-guard along its path. Induced monsoon
rains spawned floods as far as Western and Central Mindanao.
3
– the typhoon unusually maintained winds of at least
240 kph for 60 hrs, most of it while over land.
4
– cris-crossed Northern Luzon making initial landfall
at Cagayan, then looping back to landfall in Ilocos Norte, looped back again
and entered Cagayan the second time.
5
– this howler had the most number of provinces affected at 46, most number of
regions at 12 and had the widest scope of reported significant damage to winds
of greater than 100 kph.
6
– brought record flooding in Antipolo, Cainta,
Marikina, Quezon City, Manila, Pasig and much of NCR drowning hundreds,
stranding millions.
A
– a
total of 1,901 including those missing and presumed dead under 30 meters of
rocks and mud in New Bataan, Compostela Valley
B
– a total of 1,501 including those from the capsized
M/V Princess Of The Stars and various fishing fleets in the Visayan Sea, plus
those still missing and presumed dead.
C
– other agencies estimate toll to have reached 3,000
if the missing will be counted as dead
D
– an estimate of 8,000 might have died with the
missing presumed dead. Some may be devoured by sharks at Ormoc Bay and Camotes
Sea.
E
– a total of 1,449 including those missing and
presumed dead
F
– a total of 1,200 including those missing and
presumed dead beneath the lahars of Mayon Volcano
G
– not included are the 254[I] people who
perished when M/V Doña Marilyn capsized at the coast of Masbate and Biliran
+
- JTWC radar
estimates of 315 kph maximum sustained
and 380 kph of gusts at landfall at Calicon Is., Guiuan, Eastern Samar . PAGASA
Tacloban records a peak gust of 200 kph
before it went off service
++
- JTWC radar estimates of 259 kph gusts 4 hours before landfall at Cateel,
Davao Oriental
+++
- Weather Philippines AWS (automated weather station) at Tabaco City, Albay
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Over water
– typhoon’s estimated strongest winds were recorded while typhoon was still at
sea but is closely approaching land
PAGASA
estimates were given as no actual recorded wind speed was published
Damage
costs were not adjusted to current inflation rate
[I] – taken
from www.biliranisland.com/blogs.
Wikipedia puts it at 77 with 2 missing conflicting with its stub entry”MV Doña
Marilyn” putting it at 389 dead.
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Special thanks to:
Mr. Adonis S. Manzan of Iloilo City and Mrs.Imelda Ofalla of PAGASA Roxas
Station
Sources:
“Responses and Lessons Learned from Typhoon Haiyan (Yolanda)” by Paciente, Rene B., PAGASA Weather Division at JMA/WMO
Workshop On Effective Tropical cyclone Warning in Southeast Asia, march 11-14,
2014; Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC), Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical
and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA), Japan Meteorological Agency
(JMA), Unisys.com, Typhoon2000.com archives and records, Weather Philippines,
National Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council,
Compiled
by: Dominic Alojado, MD. with additional information by Senior Typhoon
Specialist David Michael V. Padua of WeatherPhilippines Foundation. Copyright
2015 WeatherPhilippines Foundation, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Published in typhoon2000.com
http://www.typhoon2000.ph/stormstats/WPF_WorstTyphoonsPhilippines_2015Ed.pdf
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