#YOLANDA PH

(The Devastating and Deadliest Typhoon History)

Male 15

Reyes, Marion Lester A.

Female 15

Trinidad, Shiena Mae

Grade 11 Integrity

Humanities and Social Sciences (HUMSS)

St. Joseph Academy of Sariaya, Quezon

 A Typhoon is an intense area of low atmospheric pressure. Like all low pressure weather
systems observed North of the Equator, the air rotates around the center of an area of low pressure
in an anti-clockwise direction (clockwise if South of the Equator). The more intense the area of
low pressure the higher the wind speeds near the center. A Typhoon is a low pressure weather
system with sustained wind speeds near its center of at least 56 knots (about 105 kph).

To make a Typhoon you need a lot of warm, moist air evaporating off the ocean surface
and rising rapidly, creating the area of relatively low pressure - a weather system. The rapid rising
of the air mass and the subsequent condensation of the moisture at altitude, combined with the
rotation of the Earth, are the necessary energy components to facilitate rotation of the weather
system; a Tropical Depression (TD) is formed. When the upper atmospheric conditions are
conducive then the rotation is accelerated and the weather feature forms into a Tropical Storm (TS).
Assuming the Tropical Storm remains over an area of warm ocean - with a sea surface temperature
above 26 degrees Celsius - then the weather system will most likely continue to increase in rotation
speed until it reaches the status of a typhoon – sustained wind speeds in excess of 56 knots near its
center. If the sea surface temperature is less than 26 degrees Celsius then a typhoon has insufficient
energy and cannot sustain itself; if the sea surface temperature is greater than 32 degrees Celsius
then the weather system may become overpowered and may dissipate, but this does not always
happen.
 On 8 November 2013, Typhoon Yolanda, international code name Haiyan, made landfall
in the central Philippine islands region. The 600 km-diameter typhoon Yolanda crossed the
Philippine archipelago, bringing widespread devastation in its path. Storm surges were primarily
responsible for the 6,190 dead, 1,785 missing and 28,626 injured in Yolanda’s aftermath.

According to (Lagmay, 2014) Yolanda is one of the most powerful typhoons to have made
landfall in recorded history, with maximum sustained winds reaching 315 kph (170 knots) with
gusts up to 379 kph (205 knots) just before landfall. This makes it equivalent to a Category 5
typhoon on the Saffir–Simpson hurricane scale, which has the capacity to cause catastrophic
damage, a high percentage of destruction of framed homes, total roof failure and wall collapse,
isolation of residential areas due to fallen trees and power poles, and power outages that could last
for weeks to months.

Furthermore, the storm surges of Yolanda were predicted two days in advance with a
complete list that was broadcast over media the night before Yolanda made landfall. Unfortunately,
despite the advanced warnings, these were not translated into appropriate action in every coastal
village in the Central Philippines region.

In addition, although communication of storm surge impacts could have been made
better, it was not enough to have mitigated the Yolanda disaster. There were those who heeded
warnings but they too perished in evacuation centers in Tacloban, Leyte. The raging sea also
overwhelmed even weather scientists, those already well versed with deadly storm surges.

Moreover, according to (Lagmay and Kerle, 2015) How far inland should one go to escape
death from storm surges? Coastal landscapes vary and assuming people understood storm surges,
still, nobody could have responded appropriately without accurate hazard maps. Moving 100
meters or even 1000 meters inland from the coastline would seem enough, but not quite. Yolanda
storm surges entered as far as 2 km inland. In Tacloban, 70% of the evacuation centers were
inundated by the deadly incursion of the sea because existing hazard maps did not show the storm
surge hazard accurately.
Tacloban, Leyte
Tacloban was the city hardest hit during the devastation of Typhoon Yolanda. The super
typhoon barreled through the provincial capital, affecting the 221,174-strong population, rendering
2,646 dead and 701 missing due to storm surges, strong winds, and heavy rainfall (NDRRMC,
2014).
Three days’ prior, the then two-month-old Storm Surge Hazard Mapping Team of Project
NOAH started running simulations to predict the storm surge heights in the area using the Japan
Meteorological Agency (JMA) model and WXTide. On 7 November, they produced a list of areas
that will experience storm surges with the corresponding predicted height and estimated time of
maximum surge. On this list, Tacloban had the 3rd highest, with 4.5 meters (14.8 feet) storm tide
height. Unfortunately, this list of storm surge heights did not translate well despite early warning,
as the storm surge maps we have today were not yet completed at the time.
Tacloban residents were used to typhoons, but according to some interviews, they were reportedly
caught by surprise by the deluge coming from the sea. Several concrete structures where residents
usually take shelter in were completely washed out by the surge. The Astrodome was also flooded
with storm surges, drowning several people while others climbed up the bleachers to safety. This
event stands out in the history of Tacloban as the deadliest event in recent history.

Typhoon Haiyan, known in the Philippines as Super Typhoon Yolanda, was one of the most
powerful tropical cyclones ever recorded. On making landfall, Haiyan devastated portions of
Southeast Asia, particularly the Philippines. Typhoon Haiyan made landfall in the Philippines on
November 8, 2013, as a Category 5 storm. ... 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 new storm signal represents the Super Typhoon (STY) category – typhoons packing
maximum sustained winds of more than 220 km/h, which the weather bureau adopted a year after
Super Typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan) wreaked havoc in the country.

Typhoon Haiyan (Yolanda) marks the 24th storm hitting the Philippines this year. In the
past decade super typhoons and tsunamis caused by climate change have haunted communities in
the Pacific, resulting in constant displacement and rebuilding each year. Typhoon Haiyan Caused
$225 Million in Agricultural Damage. Typhoon Haiyan which struck the Philippines on November
8 causing widespread devastation has resulted in severe damage to the country's agriculture and
fisheries sector, costing the region $225 million in damages. The Typhoon Yolanda has caused
heavy damage in agriculture especially to rice (it was harvest season when the disaster occurred),
corn and coconut trees. ... The worst impact of the disaster is more on the employment aspect which
is estimated to effect 5.1 million workers mainly, from agriculture who will become jobless.

7 Environmental Principles

1. People is the cause; People is the cure.

Environmental problems start with the ignorance’s of people causing devastating
phenomena that can harm their lives. The only cure is to sustained and be knowledgeable
of how to use the resources and putting limitations so that no one will suffered at all and
environment will be safe and free to used.
 2. Awareness without Action is useless.
Awareness is a must and we all know it, and that’s all we won’t awareness without
action, we must put an ending pointers on it. That; we lived in this world to survived to
know everything and to used our learnings to an action that will testify on how we stand
valiantly in every storms or in bad situation.
3. Care.
Us we put care to ourselves, we must consider also the status of our nation that we
must also put some efforts to care for them, the whole country, the nation and the
environment as well for the betterment that will benefits all.
4. Unity.
This is basically means we will stand strong as long as were together and we can
be able to change the direction of everyone to put emphasis for good outcomes for the
environment and our only living home.
5. Redirecting and Recalibrating.
By redirecting ourselves we can create a better world were negativity could not grow and
foster and by recalibrating our mindset our world was a better place to live in and the micro
will not turn to macro effects that can harm the environment and the society as well.
6. Be Responsible and Productive.
A responsible person is a good worth creation of God. Intended to do right things
to help them to be productive and one of beneficiaries for the conservation of the
environment. It’s not too late to start again.

7. Aim for life to diverse to continue the Bio existence of Biodiversity.

Biodiversity boosts ecosystem productivity and plays an important role for a larger
number of species to insure that all our diverse to have natural sustainability for all life
forms.

Reference
 Lagmay, A.M.F., Norman Kerle. Typhoons: Storm-surge models helped for
Hagupit. Nature, Vol. 519, 414. doi:10.1038/519414b
http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v519/n7544/full/519414b.html
Lagmay, A. (2014). Devastating Storm Surges of Typhoon Haiyan. International Journal
of Disaster Risk Reduction. 10/2014; 11. DOI:10.1016/j.ijdrr.2014.10.006
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2212420914000922
NDRRMC. (2013). NDRRMC, Sitrep no. 107 effects of typhoon yolanda (haiyan). National
Disaster and Risk Reduction and Management Council. Online.