The strongest storm to ever make landfall in recorded history, super typhoon Haiyan, has made landfall in the central Philippines at sustained winds of 185-195 mph. The speed of these winds brought on by Haiyan are comparable to an EF-5 tornado.
The 300+ mile wide super typhoon hit the Philippines shortly before 9:45 p.m. (EST) Thursday night.
A side-by-side graphic shows the intense strength of Haiyan compared to Hurricane Katrina, one of the deadliest hurricanes in the history of the United States. There is no difference between a hurricane and a typhoon, except for where they come from.
Wow. #Haiyan http://t.co/QfzuRyrs93 pic.twitter.com/lUauCmGN6R
— PolicyMic (@PolicyMic) November 8, 2013
The storm, known as Yolanda in the Philippines, threatens to flood 100 coastal areas according to Philippines President Benigno S. Aquino III. Thousands of residents have already been evacuated, but catastrophic damage is unavoidable.
The violent winds are estimated to occasionally clock in at over 200 mph. The extreme power of these gusts, mixed with flooding brought on by a storm surge of over 10 feet, will potentially be devastating.
(Photo: Getty Images)
“The humanitarian impact of Haiyan threatens to be colossal,” said Patrick Fuller of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies to Reuters.