Typhoon Yolanda and the PSEi
What can be expected in the aftermath of Typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan)?
According to online references, the deadliest typhoon in the Philippines happened in 1991 and it’s called Typhoon Uring [1-2]. Uring caused at least 5,018 to 8,165 deaths. On the other hand, the most destructive is Pablo (2012) with cost of damages estimated to have reached PHP42.2B [1,3].
Edited image (20131110) to highlight certain information like death toll and cost of damage, also captioned the regions on the map. (see original plot)
In the figure, the x-axis provides the highest 10-min sustained wind speed of a typhoon while the y-axis gives the lowest pressure. The grey dots represent other significant (“deadliest” and “most destructive”) typhoons that have hit the Philippines. Information on the wind speed and pressure of Yolanda were taken from [4], which may have already been updated. Looking at where Typhoon Yolanda (yellow dot) is in the plot makes me extra anxious. Note that lower pressures are usually associated with higher winds (stronger storms).
On the other hand, the location of landfall (population density, infrastructure, etc.) also affects the backwash of a typhoon (aside from wind speed and pressure), not to mention our disaster-preparedness-related policies. The overall socioeconomic and environmental effects of Yolanda has yet to be determined, as of this writing [08 Nov]. Note that typhoon Uring and Yolanda have made some landfalls in same regions. It worries me. I am just hoping that we are more prepared and more resilient (not just in spirit) this time around, and that we have a more effective government than in 1991.
As always, feel free to verify the info provided here. Please do not hesitate to give me a shout-out in the comments section if and when you find significant errors and/or inconsistencies in the post.
Praying for everyone’s safety.
In other news, the PSEi closed in the negative on Friday at 6,355.18 (-1.26%), which is +11.69% YTD.
Sigh. Looking forward to brighter days ahead, both for our kababayans who have been affected by the typhoon and the Philippine market.
Snapshot taken from Bloomberg.com at 2:10AM SGT.
References:
[1] Wikipedia contributors. “Typhoons in the Philippines.” Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, 8 Nov. 2013. Web. 8 Nov. 2013.
[2] Wikipedia contributors. “Tropical Storm Thelma.” Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, 8 Nov. 2013. Web. 8 Nov. 2013.
[3] Wikipedia contributors. “Typhoon Bopha.” Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, 8 Nov. 2013. Web. 8 Nov. 2013.
[4] Wikipedia contributors. “Typhoon Haiyan (2013).” Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, 8 Nov. 2013. Web. 8 Nov. 2013.
