3.1.1.3 Weather Hazards - Tropical Storm Case Study: Typhoon Haiyan Flashcards
What category was typhoon Haiyan?
category 5 super typhoon
When did typhoon Haiyan occur?
November 2013 - hit areas in Southeast Asia particularly the Philippines
Where and when was there the first sign of typhoon Haiyan and how did it change?
- 2nd November 2013 - appears as low pressure (tropical depression) in the Pacific → heading towards the Philippines
- gathers intensity → super typhoon
When did typhoon Haiyan make landfall?
7/8th November 2013 the typhoon made landfall in the city of Guiuan on the island of Samar (in Philippines)
When did typhoon Haiyan begin to die out?
- after devastating many islands in the Philippines with strong winds, heavy rain and very high storm surges, it weakened whilst travelled northwestwards
- eventually collapsed after hitting Vietnam on the 10th of November
What was the height of the storm surges caused by typhoon Haiyan equivalent to and what did the storms surges cause?
- caused coastal areas to be devastated
- storm surge occurred - equivalent to a 15ft tsunami
- reached 5 metres over sea level - some wave marks were recorded to be 14.1 metres high
What city did typhoon Haiyan smash into and what is the population of that city?
smashes into city of Tacloban (in Philippines) which has population of 200,000 people
When did typhoon Haiyan reach its peak?
reached its peak the moment it hit the Philippines
How is the Philippines when dealing with storms and in what aspects was typhoon Haiyan unexpected?
- Philippines is used to dealing with storms and typhoons
- however, storm surge was completely unprecedented
What were the wind speeds of typhoon Haiyan and what did this cause?
- incredibly strong winds
- 10 minute sustained winds of 145 mph
- 1 minute sustained winds of 194 mph
- caused typhoon Haiyan to be incredibly destructive
How many people died and how did they die as a primary effect of typhoon Haiyan in the Philippines?
- 6,300 people died (and more missing) in the Philippines
- died from drowning or severe injuries caused by falling debris
How many fishing boast were destroyed as a primary effect of typhoon Haiyan and what did this cause?
- 30,000 fishing boats were destroyed
- caused livelihoods to be severely damaged
How many people did the storm surges displace as a primary effect of typhoon Haiyan and why?
- 600,000 people were displaced
- as the storm surges flattened and destroyed coastal areas
How many homes were destroyed and why (primary effect of typhoon Haiyan)?
40,000 homes were damaged or completely destroyed mainly due to storm surges
What province in the Philippines was worst affected and why (primary effect of typhoon Haiyan)?
- province of Leyte worst affected
- hit by 5 metre storm surge
What % of the city of Tacloban was worst destroyed?
- 90% of city was destroyed
- left hundreds of thousands of people homeless and killed hundreds
What did strong winds and heavy rain cause (primary effect of typhoon Haiyan)?
- strong winds and heavy rain damaged buildings and infrastructure
- knocked down power lines and telephone poles
- also destroyed crops
How many mm of rain fell and what did this cause (primary effect of typhoon Haiyan)?
- 4000mm+ of rain fell over a few days
- caused widespread catastrophic flooding
How was transport infrastructure damage (primary effect of typhoon Haiyan)?
- airports, ports and public services were damaged
- caused remote communities to be cut off
What was the total number of people affected by typhoon Haiyan (secondary effects of typhoon Haiyan)?
14 million + people were affected
What were there shortages of as a secondary effect of typhoon Haiyan and what did this lead to?
- there were shortages of food, water and aid supplies
- this affected health and sanitation and led to outbreaks of disease
What slowed down relief efforts for typhoon Haiyan (secondary effects of typhoon Haiyan)?
flooding and heavy rain caused landslides which blocked roads and slowed relief efforts
What had to happen to the dead bodies of the people killed by typhoon Haiyan and why (secondary effects of typhoon Haiyan)?
- as the mortality rate was so high, morgues became overwhelmed and identification was difficult
- mass burials for thousands of unidentified people had to take place in order to limit the spread of disease from bodies
What impact did typhoon Haiyan have on transport into the country and what did this cause (secondary effects of typhoon Haiyan)?
- flights and ferry services were disrupted for weeks
- this slowed down the distribution of aid supplies to remote communities and resulted in further deaths
How many people lost their source of income and why (secondary effects of typhoon Haiyan)?
- 6 million people lost their source of income due to the destruction caused by the storm
- hospitals, shops and schools were damaged and destroyed - this disrupted education and livelihoods
How were power supplies affected by typhoon Haiyan and what did this affect (secondary effects of typhoon Haiyan)?
- power supplies in some areas were cut off for a month
- affected communications and relief
What broke out in Tacloban (city in the Philippines) as a secondary effect of typhoon Haiyan?
looting and violence broke out in Tacloban
How many people did the authorities evacuate following typhoon Haiyan?
- the authorities evacuated 800,000 people
- many people sought refugee in an indoor stadium in Tacloban
- although the roof was reinforced to withstand typhoon winds, the people died when it was flooded
How did international aid organisations help in the immediate response to typhoon Haiyan?
- international aid organisations and charities responded quickly after the Philippines declared a state of ‘national calamity’
- they brought food, water, aid supplies and temporary shelters
What was imposed as an immediate response to typhoon Haiyan?
a curfew was imposed 2 days after typhoon Haiyan in order to reduce looting
What did the gov ensure as an immediate response to typhoon Haiyan?
- the gov ensured that essential equipment and medical supplies were sent out
- however, in one region these supplies were washed away by the storm’s floodwaters
How were emergency supplies were pre-positioned before typhoon struck (immediate responses to typhoon Haiyan)?
- emergency supplies were pre-positioned by the Philippines Red Cross before the typhoon struck
- supplies such as rice, canned food, cooking oil, salt and sugar were ready to be distributed when typhoon Haiyan made landfall
What did the Red Cross supply as an immediate response to typhoon Haiyan and why?
the Red Cross supplied over 1.1 million people with clean water to limit the outbreak of disease from poor sanitation
When was power restored as an immediate response to typhoon Haiyan?
power was restored a week after the typhoon in some regions
What did Canada and the USA do in the immediate response to typhoon Haiyan?
- Canada and the USA deployed military aircrafts to assist with search and rescue of survivors
- they also brought aid supplies
What did France, Belgium and Israel do in the immediate response to typhoon Haiyan?
France, Belgium and Israel set up field hospitals to help the injured
How many evacuation centres were set up as an immediate response to typhoon Haiyan and what did they consist of?
- 1,200+ evacuation centres were set up to help the homeless
- many centres were in public buildings like churches and schools
- countries like the UK also sent tents and shelter kits to affected areas
How much aid arrived in the first 10 days following typhoon Haiyan as an immediate response to the storm?
in 1st 10 days the RAF delivered 200+ tonnes of aid - medicine, food, water etc.
What did British ships bring on the 25th of November as part of the immediate response to typhoon Haiyan?
25th November 2013 British ships brought supplies inc. 100 tonnes of rice from Singapore
How many people did the department for international development (DFID) provide emergency shelter for?
245,000 people
What happened once the airport was re-opened as an immediate response to typhoon Haiyan?
- emergency aid and supplies were flown out 3 days later
- within 2 weeks 1mn+ food packs and 250,000 litres of water were distributed
How were patients rescued as an immediate response to typhoon Haiyan?
patients trapped in Tacloban’s main hospital were floated to safety during the height of the floodwaters
How did other countries help in the immediate response to typhoon Haiyan?
- 33 countries and international organisations pledged to help
- rescue missions were estimated to have cost US $88.871 million
What aid organisations were set up as an immediate response to typhoon Haiyan?
- aid organisations e.g. ‘Save the Children’ were quick to arrive in Tacloban
- health clinics were set up to help those injured during typhoon Haiyan
What aid did countries such as the UK, Japan and the US as well as the UN provide as part of the long-term response to typhoon Haiyan?
financial aid, medical support and supplies were donated
What did the United Nations Development Program set up as a long-term response to typhoon Haiyan and what did this help with?
- the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) set up cash-for-work programs that paid villagers to clear debris and medical waste
- this helped with rebuilding and recovering from the disaster + provided incomes for those who had lost their livelihoods to typhoon Haiyan
What did organisations like UNICEF and the WHO do as part of the long-term response to typhoon Haiyan and why?
- UNICEF and the WHO vaccinated 1,000s of children against diseases like polio and measles such s polio and measles
- this mass immunisation scheme was set up to ensure the diseases did not spread through temporary shelters
What strategy did the government create to build back homes as a long-term response to typhoon Haiyan and how successful has it been?
- the government created a ‘build back better’ strategy which pledged that 205,000 would be built to re-home those living in coastal areas that were at risk from typhoons
- a no-build zone on the coast of the Eastern Visayas was identified as too hazardous to live in
- however, by 2016 only 1% of the target had been achieved
What was rebuilt as a long-term response to typhoon Haiyan?
- rebuilding of roads, homes, bridges and airport facilities with assistance from foreign aid
- some new typhoon shelters were also built inland to accommodate future evacuees
What did aid organisations do as part of the long-term response to typhoon Haiyan?
aid organisations such as Oxfam have supported the replacement of fishing boats, supporting the recovery of a vital sector in the Philippines
What warning system did the Philippine Government say they’d install as a long-term response to typhoon Haiyan?
a new storm surge warning system
What was implemented along the coast as a long-term response to typhoon Haiyan?
a “no build zone” was implemented along the coast in Eastern Visayas
What sectors were quickly re-established as part of the long-term response to typhoon Haiyan?
- rice farming and fishing was quickly re-established
- but coconut trees take years to grow and produce fruit - this has led to coconut farmers struggling to recover
How have environmental organisations been part of the long-term response to typhoon Haiyan?
- environmental organisations have worked with locals to restore mangrove forests that were destroyed on the coasts after typhoon Haiyan
- as they are important areas for wildlife, fishing and act as a barrier against storm surges
What were the estimated re-construction costs following typhoon Haiyan?
£3.6 bn
What did the Philippine Government implement to rebuild the infrastructure as a long-term response to typhoon Haiyan?
- July 2014 the Philippine Government launched the “Build Back Better” scheme
- this scheme was launched with the intention that buildings would be upgraded during the re-building process so they would protected in the event of future disasters
How was the coast protected as a long-term response to typhoon Haiyan?
mangrove trees were re-planted to offer some protection to the coast in the event of any future storm surges
What was built to protect against any future storm surges as a long-term response to typhoon Haiyan?
- the Philippine Government released plans to build the Tacloban-Tanauan Road Dike
- this wall-like stucture would stand at 4m above sea level and act as a barrier to potential future storm surges
