Introduction

Typhoon Noul hit the Philippines on Sunday, May 10th, 2015. It was measured as being a category 5 storm on the Saffir-Simpson scale. It caused two indirect deaths and at least 2500 people to evacuate their homes, and about ₱15.5 million or $345,000 in damage.

Background

A typhoon (earlier classified as Super Typhoon) hit the northeastern tip of the Philippines on Sunday, May 10, 2015. This typhoon, called Noul, had powerful winds predicted to be as strong as 160 mph and rainfall up to 20 inches, only caused a little damage, but mainly affected small businesses. The thousands evacuated have returned to face the damage done to the town of Santa Ana, the place Noul hit the most. The citizens of Santa Ana are mostly involved in this issue.

The storm died down slightly after hitting land, slowing the winds and rain. It continued onto Japan, slamming Tokyo with heavy rainfall.

Location - The Philippines

The Philippines is an archipelago in Southeast Asia to the east of Vietnam. It is located between the Phillipine Sea and the South China Sea. The climate is a tropical rainforest climate, with plenty of humidity and rainfall year-round. The terrain is mountainous. The Philippines were originally under Spanish rule, which is apparent in their culture. Noul mostly affected the north, going further north to affect Japan.

Development of Noul

• 6/3/15 - Noul becomes active
• 6/6/15 - Noul hits Yap located East of the Philippines. Rainfall reaches 12 inches. 
• 6/10/15 - Noul hits Northern Philippines (town of Santa Ana), winds estimated to be up to 160 mph.
• 6/10/15 - Noul is weakened due to land interaction
• 6/12/15 - Noul gives heavy winds and rainfall to Tokyo, Japan.
• 6/12/15 - Noul is inactive

Noul was estimated to have a larger impact than it did. It began with high winds and heavy rain, estimated to be a 5 on the Saffir-Simpson scale, but did less damage than expected. It moved along like any other storm, starting out strong and weakening over time.
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Impact

Top Five Concerns:

1. Cost of damage
2. The lives lost
3. The evacuated people
4. How to recover quickly and efficiently
5. The impacts the storm may have on the economy

Typhoon Noul has caused damage to cities and the environment in the areas of the Philippines that it hit. The evacuated people will have to find places to stay while their homes are being restored, business owners will need alternate ways to make revenue, and the damage from the storm will hinder tourists from visiting the area.

What Are The Effects On...

People: 1,025 families, or 3,744 people from 36 villages in the areas of Cagayan Valley and Isabela were taken to 27 different evacuation centers to keep them safe. However, two lives were still indirectly lost due to an electrical surge not long before the storm hit the coast, and damage has been done to homes.

Environment: Although there was some damage to the environment, the overall impact was positive. There had been a dry spell that the typhoon stopped when it brought heavy rain throughout the country.

Economics: Due to the heavy rain, the farming economy will recover quickly. However, many ready-to-harvest crops were destroyed by the storm.

Government: The government got "practice" on their drill for areas that may be hit by a typhoon. For example, in 2013 Supertyphoon Haiyan left 7,350 people dead or missing because evacuation measures were not carried out well, while this year, typhoon Noul left no serious injuries, none missing, and two indirect deaths, a huge improvement from the previous storm.

Source: http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/690588/2-dead-after-typhoon-dodong-passes-cagayan

Future

The part of the Philippines hit will have to recover from any damage done. There were two casualties, and thousands evacuated the area. As they return, they will face the damage done. However, the storm did not do drastic damage, but caused flooding and landslides along with powerful winds. Although after hitting the northeastern tip of the Philippines it was no longer considered a Super Typhoon, it still “pack[s] a punch” as it continues on to Japan (Weather). Noul was a category 5 on the Saffir-Simpson scale, with a total of $364,000 USD in damage. The Philippines is hit with multiple typhoons per year, so they are aptly prepared, shown when they evacuated thousands. As more typhoons approach this region, they will prepare themselves well, bracing for the worst.

Weather

Big Picture

Typhoon Noul not only has affected the Philippines, but also other areas in its course, such as Japan. The countries that were later affected by the storm could see what the damage was to the Philippines, and predict what they should expect. Also, the Philippines can use this typhoon as a reference for future storms that may hit the country.

Generally, the Philippines has improved with protecting their citizens from typhoons and other powerful storms. They have greatly improved from the storm in 2013, which left many dead and missing and yielded a lot of damage.

Overall, even with the negative impacts of the typhoon, there were positive impacts as well. The heavy rain ended a harsh dry spell, which will help farmers all across the country.

Video - Philippines Braces for Super Typhoon Noul - CNN

Slideshow

Sources:
Slide 1: http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/asiapacific/ferries-shut-down-as/1835934.html
Slide 2: http://mashable.com/2015/05/08/typhoon-noul-growing-risk-philippines/
Slide 3: http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-05-08/philippines-threatened-by-typhoon-noul-and-volcano/6456054
Slide 4: http://www.nbcnews.com/news/weather/two-dead-typhoon-noul-slams-philippines-way-japan-n356866
Slide 5: http://www.presstv.ir/Detail/2015/05/10/410382/Philippines-typhoon-evacuation
Slide 6: http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2015/05/150510095350767.html
Slide 7: http://www.voanews.com/content/typhoon-noul-slams-into-north-tip-of-philippines/2761865.html
Slide 8: http://www.irishtimes.com/news/world/asia-pacific/landslide-warnings-as-typhoon-noul-hits-philippines-1.2206841
Slides 9 and 10: http://www.weather.com/storms/typhoon/news/typhoon-noul-japan-okinawa-tokyo-2015