Extreme Rainfall and Inland Flooding
Disreadi
Typhoon Hazards
“Whenever a typhoon makes landfall, loss of
lives and the destruction of properties are
mainly due to the hazards generated within its
circulation”
List of hazards associated with typhoons:
 Storm Surge and Coastal Flooding
 Strong / High Winds
 Extreme Rainfall and Inland Flooding
 Eyewall and Mesovortices/Miniswirls
 Landslides, Mudslides or Mudflows.
Storm Surge and Coastal Flooding
 Storm Surge
- Are ocean waves being pushed
towards the shore by the force
of the winds and the intense
low pressure of a tropical
cyclone
- It can produce Coastal
Flooding along areas with
shallow coastlines or
beachfront areas. One good
example is the storm surge
generated by Typhoon Yolanda.
- Can start flooding coastal areas
already 3-6 hours prior to
landfall. On fast moving storm
surge can occur very suddenly
with the passage of the eye. A
Super Typhoon can generate
storm surge height of more
than 20 feet above sea level.
Strong and High Winds
 Powerful Typhoons with winds of more
than 185 km/hr are considered
Catastrophic, capable of destroying even
concrete homes or buildings of exposed.
Furthermore, winds along high-rise
buildings and highland areas are 10-20%
higher than those along lowland areas.
 In a well-developed typhoon, the highest
winds are located along upper-right
(northeast) portion of the eyewall.
 Intense rainfall can result in all kinds of
inland flooding either in low-lying areas
thru poor drainage; saturate soil and the
overflowing of a river system. This hazard
can be devastating especially during a
Super Typhoon, when an affected location
is within the typhoon’s most intense
rainclouds. The most number of deaths
come from this type of hazard.
 Based on analysis, intense rainfall of past
notable typhoons that passed over Bicol
region were located mostly on the
southern portion of the eyewall
particularly during the months of October
thru December – with expected 24-hour
rainfall of more than 300 mm.
Eyewall Mesovortices or Miniswirls
 If an existing typhoon wind speeds is 240
kph over a specific location, Mesovortices
can double it to 440-600 kph – capable of
uprooting trees and carrying weak houses
a few meters off the ground. There were
widespread eyewitness accounts
regarding this phenomenon.
 Eyewall Mesovortices
 Miniswirls
 Spin-up vortices
 Micro-tornadoes
 Usually found within the eyewall
of an intense typhoon/hurricane.
These small-scale twisters can
reach winds of more than the
existing horizontal wind speeds of
a typhoon.
Landslides, Mudslides or Mudflows
 This type of hazard is common along
steep-slopes of mountains and volcanoes.
Tropical Cyclones can release more than
20 billion cubic tons of rain within its
circulation.
 When high amounts of rainfall within a
tropical cyclone falls along the mountain
slopes, saturated rocks, soil, and loose
tree logs will start mixing up with water
from the storm’s rainfall – creating
landslides, mudslides or mudflows along
its way. This type of hazard also
 contributes high fatalities especially along
riverbanks and hazard prone areas.
 In the Philippines, most deaths aside from
flooding were mainly due to landslides,
mudslides, and mudflows. An example of
this was during the onslaught of Super
Typhoon “Reming” (Durian) on November
30, 2006 - where the storm’s 400 mm
rainfall has triggered loose volcanic rocks
cascading downward from the slopes of
Mayon Volcano. It sent mudflows (lahars)
rushing across portions of Albay including
Legazpi City. About a thousand people
perished in this heart-staggering event.
Philippine Tropical Cyclone Frequency
Based on PAGASA’s data archives (1948-2015)
1. Northern Luzon: 32% (VF)
2. Batanes Group: 25% (VF)
3. Southern Bicol, Mindoro, Masbate,
Northern Panay, Samar and Northern
Leyte: 19% (F)
4. Central Luzon, Northern Bicol, Southern
Tagalog Provinces and NCR: 16% (F)
5. Palawan, Southern Panay, Negros, Cebu,
Bohol, Northern Mindanao and Southern
Leyte: 7% (LF)
6. Central and Southern Mindanao: 1%
(rare)
Philippine Tropical Cyclone Names
 Since 1963, the Philippine Atmospheric,
Geophysical and Astronomical Services
Administration (PAGASA) has
independently named tropical cyclones
forming in the Philippine’s Area of
Responsibility (AOR) – from 115E to 135E
and from 5N to 25N (except for a portion
of the northwestern corner of the above
region)
 Even though the Philippines contributed
10 names to the international list of
typhoon names, PAGASA still continues to
assign their own names for local use
within the Philippines. It is felt familiar
names are more easily remembered in the
rural areas and that having a PAGASA -
assigned name helps to underscore the
fact that the cyclone is within the
PAGASA’s AOR and potentially a threat to
the Philippines.
 Another consideration may be PAGASA’s
desire to assign names when a system is
first classified as a tropical depression.
Since tropical and/or monsoon
depressions can bring very heavy rainfall
to the nation, which often results in
disastrous flooding, the weather service
feels that assigning a names helps to
enhance public attention given to a
system.
 Beginning with 2001 PAGASA began using
new sets of cyclone names. These do not
all end in “ng” as did the older names.
Four sets of 25 names will be rotated
annually; thus, the set for 2002 will be
reused in 2006. In case more that 25
systems are names in one season, an
auxiliary set will be used.
Retired Tropical Cyclone Names
 PAGASA retires names of typhoons that
have caused at least P1biillion in damage
and or have caused at least 300 deaths
within the Philippines.
Public Storm Warning Signal
 PSWS No. 1 – Winds not more that 60
kph
Meteorological Conditions:
A tropical cyclone will affect the locality.
Winds of 30-60 kph may be expected in at least 36
hours or intermittent rains may be expected
within 36 hours.
Impact of the winds:
Twigs and branches of small trees may be
broken some banana plants may be tilted or
downed. Some houses of very light materials (nipa
and cogon) may be partially unroofed.
Unless this warning signal is upgraded
during the entire existence of the tropical cyclone,
the exposed communities at all may sustain only
very light or no damage. Rice crop, however, may
suffer significant damage when it is in its
flowering stage.
Precautionary Measures:
When the tropical cyclone is strong or
intensifying and is moving closer, this signal may
be upgraded to the next higher level. The waves
on coastal waters may gradually develop and
become bigger and higher. The people are advised
to listen to the latest severe weather bulletin
issued by PAGASA every 6 hours. In the meantime,
business may be carried out as usual except when
flood occur. Disaster preparedness is activated to
alert status.

 PSWS No. 2 – Winds of 61-100 kph
Meteorological Conditions:
A tropical cyclone will affect the locality.
Winds greater than 60 kph and up to 100kph may
be expected in at least 24 hours.
Impact of the winds:
Some coconut trees may be tilted with
few others broken. Few big trees may be
uprooted. Many banana plants may be drowned.
Rice and corn may be adversely affected.
Large number of nipa and cogon houses
may be partially or totally unroofed. Some old
galvanized iron roofings may be peeled off. In
general, the winds may bring light to moderate
damage to the exposed communities.
Precautionary Measures:
The sea and coastal waters are dangerous
to small seacrafts. Special attention should be
given to the latest position, the direction and
speed of movement and the intensity of the storms
as it may intensify and move towards the locality.
People travelling by sea and air are
cautioned to avoid unnecessary risks. Outdoor
activities of children should be postponed. Secure
properties before the signal is upgraded. Disaster
preparedness agencies are in action to alert their
communities.
 PSWS No. 3 – Winds of 101-185 kph
Meteorological Conditions:
A tropical cyclone will affect the locality.
Winds greater than 100 kph and up to 185kph
may be expected in at least 18 hours.
Impact of the winds:
Many coconut trees may be broken or
destroyed. Almost all banana plants may be
downed and a large number of trees may be
uprooted. Rice and corn crops may suffer heavy
losses.
Majority of all nipa and cogon houses may
be destroyed or unroofed and there may be
considerable damage to structures of light to
medium construction. There may be widespread
disruption of electrical power and communication
services.
Precautionary Measures:
The sea and coastal waters will be very
dangerous to all seacrafts. Travel is very risky
especially by sea and air. People are advised to
seek shelter in strong buildings, evacuate low-
lying areas and to stay away from the coasts and
riverbanks.
Watch out for the passage of the “eye” of
the typhoon indicated by a sudden occurance of
fair weather immediately after a very bad weather
with very strong winds coming generally from the
north. When the “eye” of the typhoon hit the
community do not venture away from the safe
shelter because after one to two hours the worst
weather will resume with the very strong winds
coming from the south.
Classes in all levels should be suspended
and children should stay in the safety of strong
buildings.
Disaster preparedness and response
agencies/organizations are in action with
appropriate response to actual emergency
 PSWS No. 4 – Winds of greater than 185
kph
Meteorological Conditions:
A very intense typhoon will affect the
locality. Very strong winds of more than 185 kph
may be expected in at least 12 hours.
Impact of the winds:
Coconut plantation may suffer extensive
damage. Many large trees may be uprooted. Rice
and corn plantation may suffer severe losses. Most
residential and institutional buildings of mixed
construction may be severely damaged.
Electrical power distribution and
communication services may be severely
disrupted.
In the overall, damage to affected
communities can be very heavy.
Precautionary Measures:
The situation is potentially very
destructive to the community. All travels and
outdoor activities should be cancelled. Evacuation
to safer shelters should have been completed
since it may be too late under this situation.
With PSWS #4, the locality is very likely
to be hit directly by the eye of the typhoon. As the
eye of the typhoon approaches, the weather will
continuously worsen with the winds increasing to
its strongest coming generally from the north.