Philippines Expat Forum

Asawa
Joined 2018
Posts: 733

5 years ago

Top 10 Typhoons to impact Mindano in Recorded History

5 years ago

All the spirited debate in the other thread made me curious how often Mindano gets directly or indirectly hit by Typhoons.

I'm a research nerd, so I decided to do some research. Here is what I found.

8 of the 10 worst typhoons to every impact Mindanao made landfall in Surigao del Norte and its outlying islands. Titang (Kate) made its landfall at Digos, Davao del Sur, while Nanang (LingLing) never made landfall in Mindanao.

Titang (AKA: Ike) was the only tropical cyclone on record to directly cross through more than one province in the Island of Mindano in October 1970.

Titang formed near the equator, then took a westerly track and entered Davao Gulf. It hit Digos with winds up to 200 kph, but just 48 kilometers north east of Digos, Davao City only recorded winds not greater than 46 kph, attesting to the typhoon's small and concentrated size. It ravaged through a wide expanse of land in Central Mindanao, Lanao and Zamboanga Provinces causing it to decelerate. TITANG remained an intact tropical storm just south of Negros after exiting Zamboanga del Norte and became a typhoon again at South China Sea.

Here are the top ten (Most to least Damaging):

1. Typhoon Nitang (Ike) caused 1,363 to 3,000 deaths and did 4100 million Pesos in damage with 220 kph winds on its path centered on Surigao on August 31-September 4, 1984. NDCC and Reuters estimate 70-80% of houses and buildings in Surigao City were severely damaged or totally wiped-out.

2. Typhoon Ruping (Mike) caused 748 deaths and did 10.846 billion Pesos in damage with 220 kph winds on its path centered on Cebu on November 10-14, 1990. The country's costliest typhoon to-date.

3. Typhoon Ining (Louise) caused 400 deaths and did 10 million Pesos in damage with 240 kph winds on its path centered on Cebu on November 15-20, 1964. Clocked an estimated 280-290 kph over water just before making landfall just south of Siargao Is., Surigao del Norte. This short-lived super typhoon permanently reduced the output of Bacuag, Surigao del Norte's coconut production.

4. Typhoon Titang (Kate) caused 631 deaths and did 1750 million Pesos in damage with 95 kph winds on its path centered on Cuyo Island on October 16-23, 1970. A small and concentrated typhoon with only a radius of more or less 50 kms of typhoon strength winds (> 120 kph).

5. Typhoon Puring (Nell) caused 45 deaths and did 152 million Pesos in damage with 150 kph winds on its path centered on Surigao on December 25-28, 1993.

6. Typhoon Bising (Nelson) caused 288 deaths and did 590 million Pesos in damage with 100 kph winds on its path centered on Maasin on March 22-29, 1982.

7. Typhoon Nanang (Lingling) caused 236 deaths and did 3200 million Pesos in damage with 90 kph winds on its path centered over over water on November 6-9, 2001. Never made landfall in any part of Mindanao but brought severe damage and 236 fatalities to Northern Mindanao, particularly the island province of Camiguin. Heavy rains from Nanang loosened the earth at Hibok-Hibok Volcano in Camiguin Island sending a deluge of mud and rocks to the town of Mahinog, wiping out villages and burying hundreds in debris. Nanang never made landfall in any area of Mindanao (instead it went through the Visayas) but wreaked havoc mostly in the Northern regions of the island.

8. Typhoon Auring (Lola) caused 39 deaths and did 16 million Pesos in damage with 110 kph winds on its path centered on Mactan* on January 22-25, 1975.

9. Typhoon Lucy caused 5(?) deaths and had 121 kph winds on its path centered on Cuyo Island on November 25-December 1, 1962.

10. Typhoon Bebeng (Sally) had 120 kph winds on its path centered on Surigao on March 1-4, 1967. was already weakening as it approached Surigao del Norte after ravaging the Island-Republic of Palau. It dissipated at Sulu Sea.

I know... TMI (and a really long post). Does this match what you folks were thinking?

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