Typhoons, the Pacific Hurricanes, as Deadly as Atlantic Brothers and Sisters

Hurricanes ravage the Atlantic and Eastern Pacific Oceans each year. On the other side of the world, the western Pacific Ocean region surrounding south Asia, these deadly storms have another name: Typhoon.

Typhoons are classed as tropical cyclones, just as their western brothers and sisters, named hurricanes. In Chinese, typhoon is taken from the words tai (great) feng (wind), 大風. The tropic typhoon season typically lasts from May until November, with storms starting as tropic depressions, then upgrading to tropic storm status before being classed as a full-fledged typhoon.

Typhoons kill considerably more than their Atlantic counterparts. Typhoon Nina stuck China in 1975, killing more than 175,000 people. Typhoon Durian in 2006 killed more than 800 people in Vietnam, Thailand and the Philippines. During the 2006 typhoon season more than 1000 Chinese citizens were killed in two storms.

The 2007 Typhoon season has seen several large storms. Typhoon Kong-rey began the season in March, and Pabuk (August 2007) completed a tour of the Philippines, Vietnam, Taiwan and southern China, killing more than 80 and 100,000 homeless. A new storm, Wutip, started to form east of the Philippines, just as Pabuk was dissipating.

Unlike the North American Hurricane naming convention, 13 nations in Asia submit 10 names each that make up the storm naming list. During the active 2007 season seven storm have been named, the latest in August, Wutip named by Macau.

Preparing for a typhoon is the same as preparing for a hurricane, although, depending on the infrastructure in the country, you may need to prepare for a longer length of time without services. In most urban centers in Asia power is restored quickly. In more remote regions, or on islands, it's best to prepare for a long time without services. The most important items are:

Water: One gallon per person, for at least seven days. In rural areas prepare more.
Food: Non perishable, canned or dried food items. Energy or protein bars are also good to have on hand.
First Aid Kit / Medications: Be prepared for injuries, and with over-the-counter and prescription medications.
Flashlight / batteries: Have enough batteries to last 7 days, and extra bulbs for the flashlight. Candles are also good to have on hand.
Cash: Have a stash of money for use when ATM are down.
Documents: Keep your passport or other identification documents in a waterproof container.
Shortwave radio: A small SW radio will give you access to English language news and updates if none are available in your country.