THE WORLD watched when Supertyphoon “Yolanda” (international name: Haiyan), the strongest typhoon to hit land, swept through the Visayas in November 2013.
With winds up to 315 kilometers per hour recorded, Yolanda left more than 6,000 dead, around 1,000 missing and over 28,000 injured. Some 16 million people in 19 provinces in the Visayas, Southern Luzon and Mindanao were affected, according to the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC). The Office of Civil Defense put damage at P89.6 billion.
Other notable storms that hit the country in the last five years:
In December 2011, Tropical Storm “Sendong” (international name: Washi) dumped an unprecedented amount of rain on the cities of Iligan and Cagayan de Oro in Mindanao and triggered massive floods and landslides. Sendong killed more than 1,200 people, caused around P2.1 billion in damage and affected around 700,000 people in 13 provinces in Visayas and Mindanao. Most of the fatalities were recorded in Cagayan de Oro, Iligan and Bukidnon. Around 6,700 were injured, while more than 100 were missing, according to the NDRRMC.
Around the same time the following year, Typhoon “Pablo” (international name: Bopha) struck Mindanao, leaving more than 1,000 people dead and P37 billion in damage. Some 6.2 million people in 10 provinces were affected by Pablo, which damaged more than 200,000 houses in its wake.
Typhoon “Glenda” (international name: Rammasun) shut down Metro Manila in July 2014, striking down power lines, and leaving many areas. Some 4.7 million people in seven regions in Luzon and Visayas were affected. It left more than 100 dead and 1,200 injured. Cost of damage was estimated at P38.6 billion, according to the NDRRMC.
Typhoon “Pedring” (international name: Nesat) struck the country in September 2011 and made landfall over the boundary of Aurora and Isabela. Some 3 million persons in 9 regions in Northern and Southern Luzon were affected. The typhoon left more than 80 people dead. Cost of damage was at P15 billion.
Supertyphoon “Juan” (international name: Megi) hit northern Luzon in October 2010 with winds of up to 195 kph and affecting some 2 million people in six regions in Luzon. It left more at least 30 dead and destroyed more than 148,000 houses. Estimated cost of damage to agriculture and infrastructure was at P12 billion, according to the NDRRMC. Compiled by Inquirer Research Sources: Inquirer archives, Typhoon2000.ph, NDRRMC