[News Focus] After the Deluge

Researchers are gaining insights into what made Supertyphoon Haiyan so powerful and devastating through post-storm surveys and analyses. The tropical cyclone's ferocity resulted from a buildup of heat in subsurface waters in the western North Pacific; the devastating surge was a quirk of geography in which a narrow bay funneled water toward the heavily populated city of Tacloban. There is no obvious link to global warming. But scientists warn that reducing the toll from future storms will depend on moving residents and buildings away from vulnerable coastlines.
Author: Dennis Normile

Source: Science: This Week - April 24, 2014 Category: Science Authors: Dennis Normile Source Type: research