In the Philippines, nothing is as certain as the arrival of a typhoon.

It’s not a matter

of if but when. After all, at least 20 typhoons visit the country every year. [1]

These typhoons cause damage that cost billions of pesos, claim thousands of lives,
and leave a permanent imprint on the minds of the survivors. Using data, we can
see which of the top 10 strongest typhoons in the Philippines caused the most
destruction.

The Top 10 Strongest Typhoons in the Philippines

The storms on this list are qualified and ranked in terms of destructiveness or the
cost of damage.

1. Typhoon Yolanda (International Name: Haiyan)

 Year: 2013
 Wind speed: 315 km/h
 Rainfall: 281.9 mm
 Death toll: 6,300
 Damage: ₱95.5 billion

With a death toll of around 6,300 people and damage worth ₱95.5 billion pesos,
Typhoon Yolanda claims the first spot among the top 10 strongest typhoons in the
Philippines.

No one can ever forget this 2013 disaster—the aerial images of towns leveled to the
ground are forever burned into Filipinos’ minds. Pictures of the storm surges’
effects may remind you of the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami.

Storm surges devastated many places such as Tacloban City. Waves measuring up
to 19 feet destroyed buildings, knocked over trees, and carried cars away. A lot of
people were caught off guard, resulting in injuries and fatalities. Rescue operations
were delayed since towns and villages were completely cut off. Affected areas went
without power for weeks.

The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration

(PAGASA) retired the name Yolanda due to its extensive damage and high death
toll. The same goes for the name Haiyan.
2. Typhoon Odette (International Name: Rai)

 Year: 2021
 Wind speed: 280 km/h
 Rainfall: 272.1 mm
 Death toll: 409
 Damage: ₱51.8 billion

In December 2021, Typhoon Odette ravaged the Philippines, particularly the

provinces of Visayas and Mindanao. The typhoon severely affected more than nine
million people.

Two of the worst-hit areas were Bohol and Surigao City. A haunting image of this
storm’s aftermath shows knocked-down coconut trees and the wrecked Cloud 9
boardwalk in Siargao. Meanwhile, rivers overflowed in Cagayan de Oro, causing
floods across the city.

Typhoon Odette was the strongest storm to hit Mindanao in 10 years. Because of
the typhoon’s massive devastation, PAGASA removed the name Odette from its
rotation of cyclone names.

3. Typhoon Pablo (International Name: Bopha)

 Year: 2012
 Wind speed: 280 km/h
 Rainfall: 240 mm
 Death toll: 1,901
 Damage: ₱43.2 billion

Known internationally as Bopha, Typhoon Pablo was once considered the strongest
tropical cyclone to ever hit Mindanao. This 2012 typhoon made landfall in three
separate locations: Northern Mindanao, Central Visayas, and Palawan.

Typhoon Pablo caused landslides and power outages when it hit the central and
southern regions of Mindanao. The disaster claimed more than 1,900 lives, affected
around six million people, and damaged over 200,000 houses. All these made the
cyclone one of the top 10 deadliest typhoons in the Philippines.

Due to its destruction and death toll, the PAGASA decommissioned the name.
Likewise, the name Bopha was retired by the United Nations Economic and Social
Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP)/World Meteorological Organization
(WMO) Typhoon Committee.

4. Typhoon Glenda (International Name: Rammasun)

 Year: 2014
 Wind speed: 260 km/h
 Rainfall: 200 mm
 Death toll: 225
 Damage: ₱38.6 billion

Coming in at the fourth spot of the top 10 deadliest typhoons in the Philippines,
Glenda ravaged the country, particularly Luzon and some parts of Visayas, in 2014.
With a wind speed of 260 km/h and a rainfall volume of 200 mm, this typhoon
claimed lives and caused damage amounting to over ₱38 billion.

Before its onslaught, Typhoon Glenda was expected to bring storm surges of up to
nine feet. In Metro Manila, at least 90% of total residents experienced power
outages due to downed lines and poles. Residents in the slum areas were also
severely affected.

Because the typhoon’s damage exceeded ₱1 billion, PAGASA retired the name
Glenda.

5. Typhoon Ompong (International Name: Mangkhut)

 Year: 2018
 Wind speed: 285 km/h
 Rainfall: 300 mm
 Death toll: 134
 Damage: ₱33.9 billion

In 2018, Typhoon Ompong barrelled through the northern part of the Philippines. It
brought flash floods, landslides, and storm surges. It displaced more than 270,000
people in Regions I, II, III, Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR), and the National
Capital Region (NCR).[2]

As it traversed the Luzon mountains, Typhoon Ompong weakened until it landed on

the West Philippine Sea. Outside the country, the typhoon affected Malaysia,
Taiwan, Hong Kong, Macau, and mainland China.

Just like with other deadliest typhoons in the Philippines, Ompong’s name was
retired by the PAGASA. The name Obet replaced Ompong for the 2022 season since
typhoon names are used in rotation every four years.
6. Typhoon Pepeng (International Name: Parma)

 Year: 2009
 Wind speed: 250 km/h
 Rainfall: 700 mm
 Death toll: 465
 Damage: ₱27.3 billion

The year 2009 was an unforgettable period for many Filipinos in Luzon. It was the
year Typhoon Ondoy caused massive flooding in many locations such as Metro
Manila. But merely a few days after this disaster, another typhoon named Pepeng
wreaked havoc in the country.

Pepeng furthered the damage left by Ondoy and affected thousands of families in
the northern part of Luzon, particularly in Pangasinan. It even interacted with an
incoming typhoon named Quedan (internationally known as Melor). A few days
after, the weakened storm made its way back to Luzon, hitting the provinces of
Ilocos Norte and Cagayan.

With a death toll of 465 people and damage worth ₱27.3 billion, Pepeng is one of
the top 10 deadliest typhoons in the Philippines. With such a grim reputation,
PAGASA retired the name.

7. Typhoon Ulysses (International Name: Vamco)

 Year: 2020
 Wind speed: 215 km/h
 Rainfall: Between 228.6 mm and 304.8 mm
 Death toll: 102
 Damage: ₱20.2 billion

A deadly storm in the midst of a deadly global pandemic? Yes, it happened in 2020
—enter Typhoon Ulysses. Aside from strong wind gusts, Ulysses brought heavy
rains, even causing the worst flooding in Metro Manila since Typhoon Ondoy in
2009. Water rose quickly even in areas not considered flood-prone.

Typhoon Ulysses also caused dams in Luzon to reach their spilling points. To avoid
dam failure, authorities released water from the dam, which led to widespread
floods in various provinces.

With the typhoon’s extensive damage and death toll, PAGASA decommissioned the
name Ulysses. Internationally, the name Vamco was also removed from the list of
typhoon names.

8. Typhoon Rolly (International Name: Goni)

 Year: 2020
 Wind speed: 315 km/h
 Rainfall: Between 230 mm and 300 mm
 Death toll: 32
  Damage: ₱20 billion

Another typhoon that appeared during the pandemic in 2020, Rolly started out as a
tropical depression in the southern part of Guam. However, it developed into a
super typhoon as it entered the Philippines. It brought sustained winds of 315
km/h, making it one of the top 10 strongest typhoons in the Philippines. Bicol was
badly hit with flash floods and power outages.

Typhoon Rolly caused 32 fatalities and left more than ₱20 billion worth of damage.
With that, PAGASA decided to retire the name. For 2024, PAGASA picked Romina as
a name replacement.

9. Severe Tropical Storm Paeng (International Name: Nalgae)

 Year: 2022
 Wind speed: 100 km/h
 Rainfall: More than 450 mm
 Death toll: 160
 Damage: ₱17.6 billion

In 2022, Typhoon Paeng ravaged the country. Although the area of the Bangsamoro
Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao was not directly in Paeng's path, many
locals died due to flooding and landslides. Residents were swept away in swollen
rivers and buried under rubble.

Provinces in Western Visayas such as Iloilo, Capiz, Aklan, and Negros Occidental,
where floods rose as high as rooftops, were also badly hit by Paeng. The sheer
force of the rain caused collapsed infrastructure, landslides, and mudslides as the
number of fatalities continued to rise.

The name Paeng was subsequently removed from the list of typhoon names used
in rotation due to its reputation as one of the worst typhoons in the Philippines.

10. Typhoon Pedring (International Name: Nesat)

  Year: 2011
 Wind speed: 215 km/h
 Rainfall: More than 350 mm
 Death toll: 98
 Damage: ₱15.6 billion

Typhoon Pedring, which came exactly two years after Typhoon Ondoy made its
landfall in the country, is considered one of the top 10 strongest typhoons in the
Philippines.
Luzon was mainly affected, with visible devastations in Metro Manila, Albay, Ilocos
Norte, Isabela, Pangasinan, Catanduanes, Batangas, Cavite, and Pampanga, among
others. Typhoon Pedring also caused flash floods and produced strong winds that
destroyed structures and cut power.

Typhoon Pedring was one of the twin typhoons that barrelled through the
Philippines within one week in September 2011. The second one was Typhoon
Quiel, which left 18 fatalities.

Due to damages amounting to more than ₱10 billion, the typhoon’s name was
decommissioned by PAGASA. For the 2015 season, the weather bureau chose the
name Perla as a replacement.