GH - Typhoon Haiyan Case Study

When did it make landfall?

• 8th of November 2013 as a Category 5, with sustained winds of over 195 mph

Lowest pressure of Typhoon Haiyan

895 mb

Peak strength

Category 5

Highest sustained wind speed

196 mph

Rainfall

400mm

Storm surge height

6 metres

Total economic loss

$13 billion

Homes damaged or destroyed

1.1 million

Displaced people

4 million

Number of deaths

6201

Number of affected people

16 million

Short-term social impacts of Typhoon Haiyan

• 6201 people died 

• 1.1 million homes lost

• more than 4 million displaced

• Casualties 28,626 from lack of aid

• 16 million people affected

• UN admitted its response was too slow, amid reports of hunger/thirst among survivors

Long-term social impacts of Typhoon Haiyan

• UN feared possibility of the spread of disease, lack of food, water, shelter and medication

• Areas less affected; influx of refugees into the area

• Two months later, 21,000 families were still in 380 evacuation centres, waiting to be rehoused by the government in bunkhouses that needed to be built

Short-term economic impacts of Typhoon Haiyan

• Estimated at $13 billion

• Major sugar/rice producing areas were destroyed

• Between 50,000 and 120,000 tonnes of sugar was lost

• Over 130,000 tonnes of rice were lost

• Government estimated that 175,000 acres of farmland was damaged (worth $85 million)

Long-term economic impacts of Typhoon Haiyan

• The Philippines declared 'a state of national calamity’

• Asked for international help the next day

• President Aquino was under growing pressure to speed up the distribution of food/water/medicine

• Tacloban city was decimated

• Debt is a major obstacle for the Philippines, the country is locked in a debt cycle, with more than 20% of government revenue spent on foreign debt repayments

Short-term environmental impacts of Typhoon Haiyan

• Loss of forests/trees, and widespread flooding

• Oil and sewage leaks; into local ecosystems

• Lack of sanitation in days following lead to a higher level of pollution

• Coconut plantations were said to be 'completely flattened' (coconut equated to nearly half of the Philippines agricultural exports / is the world's biggest producer of coconut oil

• Fishing communities were severely affected

Long-term environmental impacts of Typhoon Haiyan

• An estimated 90 per cent of the rural population in typhoon-affected areas are small-scale farmers

• With 33 million coconut trees felled, international help has been sought to mill the 15 million tons of timber,
  lying rotting on the ground, attracting pests that threatened healthy trees

• Without a crop, families would not have cash to enable local markets to function

Short-term responses to Typhoon Haiyan

• international aid agencies responded quickly with food, water and temporary shelters

• the Philippines Red Cross delivered basic food aid e.g. rice & canned food

• UK sent shelter kits to provide emergency shelter for families

• Over 1200 evacuation centres set up for the homeless

• $427 million sent as aid and US sent 13,000 soldiers

Long-term responses to Typhoon Haiyan

• UN donated financial aid, supplies and medical support

• Aid took 5 days to receive, only 20% of victims received aid

• UN admitted response was too slow

• ‘Cash for Work’ schemes gave locals money to help clear the debris