WhereIsAtlas · Natural disaster

Typhoon Haiyan (Yolanda)

The strongest tropical cyclone ever recorded — and a humanitarian catastrophe in the Philippines

Concluded — One of the strongest tropical cyclones ever recorded; it devastated the central Philippines in November 2013, killing over 6,000.

Typhoon Haiyan — known in the Philippines as Typhoon Yolanda — made landfall on 7 November 2013 as one of the most powerful tropical cyclones ever recorded, with sustained winds of around 195 mph (315 km/h) and gusts even higher. It struck the central Philippines with near-record intensity, its eye passing directly over the city of Tacloban on Leyte island.

The storm surge was the killer. A wall of seawater, in places the height of a two-storey building, swept inland across low-lying coastal areas, devastating Tacloban and surrounding islands. More than 6,000 people died, a million homes were damaged or destroyed, and an estimated four million people were displaced — a humanitarian catastrophe on a scale the country had rarely seen.

The response became a defining test of disaster management in the Philippines and worldwide. Film crews and aid agencies arrived amid rubble and chaos, and the slow, inadequate early response triggered wide criticism. The disaster also pushed the Philippines toward tougher climate-adaptation policy and stronger early-warning systems — and served as a stark example of how a warming climate can intensify the deadliest storms.

Timeline

Nov 7, 2013 — Landfall: Haiyan comes ashore as one of the strongest storms ever recorded. (Eastern Visayas)
Nov 7, 2013 — The storm surge: A massive wall of water floods Tacloban and the coast, causing the bulk of the deaths.
Nov 2013 — The catastrophe: Over 6,000 dead, a million homes destroyed, millions displaced.
2014+ — Rebuild: A huge national and international effort rebuilds the region.
Today — A climate lesson: Haiyan becomes a warning about intensifying storms and coastal vulnerability.

Quick facts

Peak winds: ≈ 195 mph (315 km/h)
Landfall: Nov 7, 2013, Philippines
Deaths: > 6,000
Displaced: ≈ 4 million
Damage: ≈ $3-4 billion

Sources

Typhoon Haiyan - Wikipedia — Wikipedia (2026-02-15)
Typhoon Haiyan: the deadliest storm — BBC News (2026-02-15)