InTeGrate Modules and Courses >Coastal Processes, Hazards and Society > Student Materials > Case Studies > Section A: World-Wide Examples > The Philippines
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These materials are part of a collection of classroom-tested modules and courses developed by InTeGrate. The materials engage students in understanding the earth system as it intertwines with key societal issues. The collection is freely available and ready to be adapted by undergraduate educators across a range of courses including: general education or majors courses in Earth-focused disciplines such as geoscience or environmental science, social science, engineering, and other sciences, as well as courses for interdisciplinary programs.
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Initial Publication Date: December 7, 2016

The Philippines

The Philippines. Typhoon Haiyan

On November 8, 2013, Typhoon Haiyan swept across the Philippines. Fourteen million people felt the effects of the storm directly. Approximately 4.1 million were displaced from their homes, and 6000 lost their lives. Below, you will explore further questions about why this typhoon was so destructive.The answers include the science of the storm itself, the geology and geography of the Philippine Islands, as well the population distribution and economics of the people living in the affected communities.

To gain an understanding of the impact of Typhoon Haiyan on the residents of the Philippines, watch the PBS NOVA documentary: Killer Typhoon

The documentary is 53 minutes in length. It is an excellent examination of Typhoon Haiyan, and discusses why Tacloban was so heavily damaged by the storm surge, why residents underestimated the storm surge impact, and contains graphic images of the storm surge itself. Please Note: The video may take several seconds to load. If it does not load or you don't want to wait, follow the link to watch the video on the PBS website.

Storm surge simulation

Eyewitness video of storm surge destroying houses:

Haiyan's Impact and on the Philippine Islands

In order to understand how the geomorphology of the Philippine islands contributed to the magnitude of the disaster created by Typhoon Haiyan, go to the links below.

The morphology of the coast of the island of Leyte means that the storm surge was funneled into San Pedro Bay, when Tacloban is located. The storm surge simulation, the first Youtube video above, illustrates this well.

The New York Times: Mapping the destruction of Typhoon Haiyan

The map below illustrates the geography of the Philippine Islands and the "funnel" of San Pedro Bay, in which Tacloban sits. Go to this NPR (Richard Harris) link to read about the science behind the impact of Typhoon Haiyan – why it was so powerful and why so much of the destruction was focused on Tacloban.

Activate Your Learning

Question - Essay

After watching the PBS documentary (focusing on the section between 15 and 30 minutes into the video) and reading the other online sources related to Typhoon Haiyan, what were the major factors that lead to "Super Typhoon" status of this storm and in particular to the high levels of destruction in the city of Tacloban compared to other locations?

These materials are part of a collection of classroom-tested modules and courses developed by InTeGrate. The materials engage students in understanding the earth system as it intertwines with key societal issues. The collection is freely available and ready to be adapted by undergraduate educators across a range of courses including: general education or majors courses in Earth-focused disciplines such as geoscience or environmental science, social science, engineering, and other sciences, as well as courses for interdisciplinary programs.
Explore the Collection »