From the News the Other Day:
A category 5 atmospheric river ( Bomb Cyclone) hit Northern California Oct. 24,
bringing historic rains and causing flooding, power outages and ash and
debris flows in wildfire burn scars. A week ago, Sacramento broke a record of 212
consecutive days without
rain. Then yesterday it set a record with more than 5 inches of rain in
a single day. This post is about typhoons in the Philippines not the
rains of Northern California that had been news the last 4 days.
A
number of my friends here in the US viewed the Philippines as a
tropical paradise and one of the best places for retirement. The reasons
are: affordable standard of living( compared to US), hospitable and
friendly people and the tropical climate. If they asked me where in the
Philippines is the best place for retirement, my answer is, It depends
on your priorities and financial capabilities.
I would
suggest that they visit several places ( big city, small city,
provinces, coastal or mountain towns) during both rainy and dry seasons,
before they decide where to retire. I would also suggest that they read
articles ( hundreds available in the Internet) and the Pros and Cons of
Retiring in the Philippines. Here's my own article on this subject. https://whyretireinthephilippines.blogspot.com/2010/05/filipino-snowbird-shares-his-views-and.html
However, in general most of them do not know that typhoons are a way of life in the Philippines and could be costly and destructive. They also do not know that some parts of the Philippines ( Mindanao) seldom suffer the annual ( about 20 times per year) typhoons that ravage the islands in varying degrees of Intensity and Destruction. Here's a brief summary about typhoons from Wikipedia.
| Category | Sustained winds |
|---|---|
| Super typhoon (STY) | >220 km/h >119 knots |
| Typhoon (TY) | 118–220 km/h 64–119 knots |
| Severe tropical storm (STS) | 89–117 km/h 48–63 knots |
| Tropical storm (TS) | 62–88 km/h 34–47 knots |
| Tropical depression (TD) | ≤61 km/h ≤33 knots |
Typhoons in the Philippines can occur any time of the year, with the months of June to September being most active, with August being the most active individual month and May the least active. Approximately 20 tropical cyclones enter the Philippine area of responsibility yearly, an area which incorporates parts of the Pacific Ocean, the South China Sea, and the Philippine Archipelago (with the exception of Tawi-Tawi province). In each year, ten cyclones are usually expected to be typhoons, with five having the potential to be destructive ones. According to a 2013 Time Magazine article, the Philippines is "the most exposed country in the world to tropical storms".
Typhoons usually move east to west across the country, heading north or west as they go. Storms most frequently make landfall on the islands of Eastern Visayas, Bicol region, and northern Luzon, whereas the southern island and region of Mindanao is largely free of typhoons. Climate change is likely to worsen the situation, with extreme weather events including typhoons posing various risks and threats to the Philippines.
The deadliest overall tropical cyclone to affect the Philippines is believed to have been the Haiphong typhoon, which is estimated to have killed up to 20,000 people as it passed over the country in September 1881. In modern meteorological records, the deadliest storm was Typhoon Yolanda (international name Haiyan), which became the strongest landfalling tropical cyclone on record as it crossed the Visayas in central Philippines on November 7–8, 2013. The wettest known tropical cyclone to impact the archipelago was the July 14–18, 1911 cyclone which dropped over 2,210 millimetres (87 in) of rainfall within a 3-day, 15-hour period in Baguio. Tropical cyclones usually account for at least 30 percent of the annual rainfall in the northern Philippines while being responsible for less than 10 percent of the annual rainfall in the southern islands. PAGASA Senior Weather Specialist Anthony Lucero told the newsite Rappler that the number of destructive typhoons have increased recently but it is too early to call it a trend.
Tropical cyclones entering the Philippine Area of Responsibility, as well as tropical depressions that form within it, are given a local name by the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA), which also raises public storm signal warnings as deemed necessary.
Preparation and response to typhoons is coordinated by the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC). Each Philippine province and local government in the Philippines has a corresponding Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (DRRMO). Each provincial and local government is required to set aside 5% of its yearly budget for disaster risk reduction, preparations, and response.
The frequency of typhoons in the Philippines have made typhoons a significant part of everyday ancient and modern Filipino life and culture.
Meanwhile enjoy this photo of our retirement home in the Philippines, Chateau Du Mer.
Reference: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Typhoons_in_the_Philippines
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