2013 Typhoon Haiyan

        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 million houses were either partially or totally damaged, 33 million coconut trees (a major source of livelihoods) were destroyed, and the livelihoods of 5.9 million workers were disrupted.

    

   

Fast facts: Typhoon Haiyan

• One of the most powerful storms ever tracked, Typhoon Haiyan was a “super typhoon” with sustained winds of over 150 mph.
• Leyte Island was buffeted by sustained winds of 195 mph and gusts up to 235 mph.
• Not only was the storm powerful, but it also occurred after the official typhoon season’s November 1 ending.
• 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.