Super Typhoon Bohpa Now Twice as Deadly as Sandy

By Evan Duffey, Meteorologist

December 8,2012; 4:34PM,EST

The people of the Philippines are continuing to pick up the pieces in the wake of what was Super Typhoon Bopha.
The storm tore through the island of Mindanao late on Monday (eastern time) in the Philippines packing 160-mph winds, flooding rain and damaging storm surge. Gusts near 200 mph were at one time estimated near the center of the storm.
In the wake of the storm, the people of the region continue to count the dead and dig through the ruins. Over 548 people have been killed and over 500 more are missing according to the AFP. Relative to Hurricane Sandy, which has killed 253 people in seven countries, Bopha has already been blamed for twice as many deaths in only one country.
On top of the death toll, over 212,000 people have been left homeless according to the civil defense office.
Entire villages were swept away by the powerful storm. Even after the wind died down, landslides and floods continued the destruction.
Other than the immediate impacts of the storm, long term impacts are expected. Agriculture, the main source of income for many in the region, was completely inundated in places, and the threat for disease spreading in the wake of the storm is feared. Looting has also been reported in the storms wake.
Packing 155-mph winds at its zenith of power, Bopha held the rank of a "super typhoon," making it a truly rare storm for December. The storm strengthened rapidly late on Monday local time, prior to reaching the southern Philippines.
A super typhoon is defined as a typhoon having highest sustained winds of at least 130 knots, or 150 mph.
The last December super typhoon was Nanmadol, which briefly held the rank of super typhoon on Dec. 1, 2004. Nanmadol later struck the northern Philippines.