5 Things to Know Now About

Typhoon Haiyan
November 11, 2013 | By Claire Manibog, UNICEF USA
1. The number of children affected has risen to 4 million
Children are the most vulnerable in disasters, and given the Philippines
large youth population, a significant proportion of the 9.5 million affected
by the disaster are kids. Children who survived will need urgent
assistance: food, shelter and essential medical attention, plus ongoing
psychosocial support.
2. The destruction in some places is almost total
People, families with children are walking along the ruined roads, says
Leon Dominador Fajardo, a UNICEF Emergency Specialist on the ground in
Tacloban City. I dont know where they are going there is nowhere to
go. They are walking because their homes are gone and they have
nowhere to go. In Leyte province, Typhoon Haiyan (local name Yolanda),
reportedly destroyed 70 to 80 percent of all structures in its path.
3. Many of the survivors have lost their homes
Over 600,000 people have been displaced by Haiyan, many having lost
their entire homes and family members. Approximately 435,000 are inside
1,458 evacuation centers. The Philippine Red Cross reports that at least
1,200 people have died. More recent, as yet unconfirmed reports suggest
a death toll approaching 10,000.
4. In Tacloban, it takes 6 hours to travel 7 miles
Many sea and airports were severely damaged. Downed trees, wreckage
and debris have made many roads impassible. Round-trip travel on the 7mile road connecting the airport to the city of Tacloban can take 6 hours.
The countrys geography is already a challenge to begin with: The
Philippines is made up of over 7,100 islands, making emergency logistics
all the more complex.
5. Clean water and sanitation are urgent priorities
Along with food and shelter, clean water and sanitation are critical first
priorities. With many water systems and sewage treatment facilities
damaged or destroyed, the possibility of diarrhea, cholera and other
disease outbreaks is very real. The first shipments of supplies being
airlifted by UNICEF Supply Division include water purification tablets and
hygiene supplies. In addition, UNICEF is airlifting water purification and

storage equipment directly to the Philippines from suppliers in Europe and

Asia.

What is a typhoon and how do they

cause so much damage?
Hurricanes, cyclones and typhoons are all the same thing, but they are given different
names depending on where they appear.
Tropical storms over the North Atlantic Ocean are called hurricanes. Over the Indian Ocean
they're called cyclones and over the Pacific Ocean we call them typhoons.
Why do storms have names?

Tropical storms last a long time and are given names so they can be identified quickly.
The first storm of a year will have a name beginning with A, such as Hurricane Alice, and the
next one gets a name beginning with B.
There are regular meetings of weather scientists who decide on new names for the next
year.
Names of storms which cause a lot of damage are never used again.
What happens in a tropical storm?

Air rises quickly when it is heated by warm sea water.

As the air cools down again it is pushed aside by more warm air rising below it.
This cycle causes strong winds. Tropical storms have winds faster than 73 miles an hour.
What damage do tropical storms cause?

Over the sea a tropical storm can whip up huge waves.

When these waves reach land they can flood large areas, including towns and cities.
Over land the strong winds can cause a lot of damage - they can flatten homes, knock over
trees and even tip over cars.
Tropical storms usually die out after a few days over land because there is no warm sea
water there to power them.

Tropical cyclones explained

Updated Mon 11 Nov 2013, 10:59am AEDT

Infographic: ABC News Online looks inside a cyclone. (Tim Madden)

Map: Australia

How do cyclones form?

Cyclones form with a combination of very warm sea surface temperatures and the right type of outflow. Imagine a tall
chimney where all the energy comes into the base and gets sucked up to the top.
A lot of energy gathers in one place, which often results in thunderstorms. In the right part of the ocean, the system can start
circulating and release all that energy into the upper part of the atmosphere. The energy created from the thunderstorms can
then add to the whole system and a tropical cyclone will form.
Cyclones rely on the circulation of the Earth, so they form away from the equator. The effect of the earth spinning helps the
whole system rotate.
Sea temperatures of 26.5 degrees Celsius or above, along with a group of thunderstorms or pre-existing conditions, create
ideal weather conditions for a cyclone to form.
Hurricane Katrina, which hit New Orleans in 2005, formed in sea temperatures around 32C or warmer. Temperatures of 31
to 32C were measured off the Western Australian coast in early 2011 as Cyclone Rusty formed.
The Madden-Julian Oscillation, a pattern that comes across the Indian and Pacific Oceans, can help spin cyclones along. A
new high pressure cell with a new surge of winds can also contribute.

What is the eye of a cyclone like?

The pressure is very deep inside the eye of a cyclone and there are very light winds, which can give a false sense of security.
There is also an eerie sensation, as 200 kilometre per hour winds can suddenly go calm. The winds can return to being just as
strong as the cyclone continues to move over.

How destructive can cyclones be?

It depends how quickly they are moving and how deep they are. If you have ventral pressure that continues to be created
within the tropical cyclone down to about 850 hectopascals, they can be incredibly destructive.
The storm surge is a massive wall of water, akin to a tsunami, that can come out of the cyclone. The damage is caused not
just by flooding and strong winds, but also by the actual force of the water moving at very high speeds.
Cyclone Larry made landfall in far north Queensland in 2006 with wind gusts reaching 240 kilometres per hour, damaging
more than half the homes in Innisfail and leaving a repair bill of $1.5 billion.
Category four Cyclone Tracy hit Darwin on Christmas Eve in 1974 with winds of up to 217 kilometres per hour and killed
71 people. Tracy caused more than $800 million in damage and destroyed about 80 per cent of homes.
Cyclone Yasi hit north Queensland in February 2011, with wind gusts reaching 285 kilometres per hour. It left a repair bill of
about $800 million after destroying homes, shredding crops and smashing marinas and island resorts. One man died from
asphyxiation while sheltering in his home.

Does Australia have more cyclones than any other

country?
No. There are other parts of the world such as the Philippines, the Gulf of Mexico, Florida and New Orleans that would be
subject to more. However, Australia seems to be getting more intense tropical cyclones since the 1970s. There has been a
100 per cent increase in categories four and five cyclones globally, but there has not been an increase in the number of
cyclones.
The El Nino phenomenon, which occurs every three to seven years, usually sees a lower number of tropical cyclones, mostly
confined to north-western WA. In contrast, La Nina years tend to see more cyclones, particularly around the northern and
eastern Australian coast.
The coast between Broome and Exmouth in WA is the most cyclone-prone part of Australia's coastline, and the region most
prone to severe cyclone impacts. Since 1910 there have been 49 cyclones that have caused gale-force winds at Port Hedland.
They come about once every two years, and about half have an impact equivalent to a category 1 cyclone. The strongest
wind gust recorded at Port Hedland during a cyclone is 208 km/h during Joan in 1975.
In general, cyclones near Australia have more erratic paths than cyclones in other parts of the world.
The Federal Government lists cyclone severity and potential damage they may cause as follows:
Category

Wind Gusts

Ocean
Swells

Damage

1 Tropical
Cyclone

Up to 125kph
(Gales)

1.2 - 1.6m

Slight damage. Trees and farmland damaged.

2 Tropical
Cyclone

126 - 164kph
(Destructive)

1.7 - 2.5m

Significant Damage. Minor house damage. Severe

damage to signs and trees. Heavy damage to crops

3 Severe
Tropical
Cyclone

165 - 224kph
(Very
Destructive)

2.6 - 3.7m

Structural damage. House roofs and most likely power

failures

4 Severe
Tropical
Cyclone

225 - 279kph
(Very
Destructive)

3.8 - 5.4m

Significant roofing and structural damage. Airborne

debris, widespread power failure

5 Severe

Winds above

More than

Almost total destruction and extremely dangerous.

Category

Wind Gusts

Ocean
Swells

Damage

Tropical
Cyclone

280kph
(Very
Destructive)

5.5m

Houses flattened, cars over turned

Is climate change a contributor to that?

Climate change would suggest warmer sea temperatures in some parts of the world, and warm sea temperatures create ideal
conditions for cyclones to form.
The weather bureau says it is difficult to sort out natural trends, such as those caused by El Nino events, from the effects of
global warming. Some studies cited by the bureau have predicted more severe storms by the middle of the 21st century, and
storms that extend further towards the north and south poles. One study predicts more long-lived cyclones off the eastern
coast of Australia and fewer long-lived cyclones off WA.

How do cyclones differ from tornados, hurricanes and

typhoons?
Hurricanes and typhoons are regional names for severe tropical cyclones, or storms with sustained winds of more than 118
kilometres per hour. The word "hurricane" is used for storms in the north Atlantic, the north-east Pacific, and the south-east
Pacific. "Typhoons" are found in the north-west of the Pacific Ocean. Storm systems turn anti-clockwise in the Northern
Hemisphere and clockwise in the Southern Hemisphere.
Tornados are born out of thunderstorms and are tiny by comparison - generally only about 100 metres across.

How are cyclone names chosen?

There is a committee at the World Meteorological Organisation in Geneva that decides the names many years in advance.
They have a list of names for each region in the world that is responsible for identifying and classifying a tropical cyclone.

Importantly they never use the names of previous cyclones again in case some members of the public think Cyclone Tracy or
Hurricane Katrina, for example, have come back. That is impossible, of course, but some may fear a cyclone with the same
name might have the same impact.

1. Write a report on typhoons/cyclones. Include: relevant diagrams,

what is a cyclone? How are they formed? Where do they occur?
What damage can it do and how? What precautions can people take
to stay safe? And any other important information.
2. Complete the 6 thinking hats activity
3. Write your own safety plan for a cyclone. What would you need to
do/prepare?
4. Write a letter of support to send to the people in the Philippines.
5. Find five words and write the definitions.

6. Coping strategies think of ways someone could cope with such a

traumatic event, who could they talk to? What could they do? Who
could help them?