The Current

Post Typhoon Haiyan are superstorms the new normal?

Some scientists believe superstorms will become common and the world should prepare for more of the kind of upheaval that's smashed the Philippines.
And about a year ago, Hurricane Sandy unleashed its wrath and across the globe, a year later Typhoon Haiyan hit the Philippines. Today, we look at the anatomy of a storm with the storm chaser who arrived in Tacloban hours before Haiyan hit and with the climate scientist who is tracking extreme weather events with an eye to climate change.



The upheaval in the Philippines is incomprehensible, but some scientists believe the world may only just beginning to reap the whirlwind

My country is being tested by this hell storm called super Typhoon Haiyan. The initial assessments show that Haiyan left a wake of massive destruction that us unprecedented, unthinkable and the devastation is staggering. I struggle to find words even for the images we see on the news coverage. I struggle to find words for the losses. I speak for the delegations. But I speak for the countless people who will no longer be able to speak for themselves. We can take drastic action now to ensure that we prevent a future where super typhoons become a way of life. We cannot solve climate change when we seek to spew more emissions. We can fix this. We can stop this madness.Naderev Yeb Saño, representative for the Philippines

The Filipino Climate Change commissioner is also fasting to try to pressure the UN to take steps to address global warming, and he says, to show solidarity with his countrymen who are struggling to get food and water.

47 statistics that explain Typhoon Haiyan -- The Washington Post

The UN estimates that 11 million people have been affected by Typhoon Haiyan. Aid workers are struggling to distribute enough water, food and medical supplies. Haiyan is one of the biggest storms ever recorded.

Edwin Sonsona is a Filipino-born Canadian who survived the storm. He was in Cebu City when Typhoon Haiyan hit. We reached him at his home in Steinbach, Manitoba.

The ferocity of Typhoon Haiyan overwhelmed the people in its path, but even for professional storm watchers it was unforgettably violent.

Josh Morgerman is the lead storm chaser for iCyclone.com. He was part of a team that went to Tacloban to document the typhoon...arriving the afternoon before the storm struck. Josh Morgerman was in West Hollywood, California.

Videos shot by Josh Morgerman's chase partner, James Reynolds




superstorm-sandy-560insert.jpg

Two women embrace outside a home destroyed by Hurricane Sandy. Dr. Radley Horton, a climate scientist at
Columbia University says three environmental factors - sea level rise, warming upper ocean temperatures,
and arctic sea ice melt - contributed to the level of damage. (Reuters/Mike Segar)

Some scientists worry it's just a taste of what's to come; more extreme weather may be on the way. Radley Horton tracks these weather events closely. He is Climate Scientist at Columbia University's Earth Institute and joined us from our New York studio.


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This segment was produced by The Current's Shannon Higgins, Sujata Berry and Lara O'Brien.