Typhoon Haiyan, possibly strongest ever cyclone at landfall, slams into Philippines - The Washington PostTyphoon Haiyan, possibly strongest ever cyclone at landfall, slams into Philippines - The Washington Post                  Accessibility for screenreader Sign In Username PostTV Politics Opinions Local Sports National World Business Tech Lifestyle Entertainment Classifieds Jobs Real Estate Events Rentals Cars WP BrandConnect Subscribe Newsletters & Alerts    washingtonpost.com © 1996-2015 The Washington Post  Help and Contact Us Terms of Service Privacy Policy Submissions and Discussion Policy RSS Terms of Service Ad Choices       Sections    The Washington Post    Typhoon Haiyan, possibly strongest ever cyclone at landfall, slams into Philippines        Sign In  Username   Subscribe                        World Typhoon Haiyan, possibly strongest ever cyclone at landfall, slams into Philippines           Share on Facebook  Share on Whatsapp  Share on Twitter  Share on Google Plus  Share via Email  More Options       Share via Email  Share on Twitter  Share on Pinterest  Share on Google Plus  Share on LinkedIn  Share on Tumblr          Resize Text Print Article  Comments                     1 of 52       Full Screen Autoplay  Close                       Skip Ad   ×           Typhoon Haiyan slams the Philippines      View Photos   Thousands are feared dead after a massive storm lashes the archipelago with sustained winds exceeding 140 mph.    Caption   Thousands are feared dead after a massive storm lashes the archipelago with sustained winds exceeding 140 mph.       Buy Photo          Wait 1 second to continue.        By Jim Gomez November 7, 2013    MANILA — The world’s strongest typhoon of the year slammed into the Philippines early Friday. It had been poised to be the strongest tropical cyclone ever recorded at landfall, a weather expert said.  “There will be catastrophic damage,” said Jeff Masters, a former hurricane meteorologist who is meteorology director at the private firm Weather Underground. The U.S. Navy’s Joint Typhoon Warning Center in Hawaii shortly before landfall said Typhoon Haiyan’s maximum sustained winds were 195 mph, with gusts up to 235 mph.  “195-mile-per-hour winds, there aren’t too many buildings constructed that can withstand that kind of wind,” Masters said. The local weather bureau had a lower reading, saying the storm’s speed at landfall had sustained winds at 145 miles per hour, with gusts of 170.88 mph. The bureau takes measures based on longer periods of time.     View Graphic    A look at the predicted path of Typhoon Haiyan  Thousands of people have evacuated from villages in the typhoon’s path. Typhoon Haiyan’s speed at landfall was expected to beat out Hurricane Camille, which was 190 mph at landfall in the United States in 1969, Masters said. The only tiny bright side is that it’s a fast-moving storm, so flooding from heavy rain — which usually causes the most deaths from typhoons in the Philippines — may not be as bad, Masters said.  “The wind damage should be the most extreme in Philippines history,” he said. The storm later will be a threat to both Vietnam and Laos and is likely to be among the top five natural disasters for those two countries, Masters said. The storm is forecast to barrel through the Philippines’ central region Friday and Saturday before blowing toward the South China Sea over the weekend, heading toward Vietnam. The typhoon slammed into the eastern province of Samar. Another province devastated by an earthquake last month was in the path of the storm. The storm was not expected to directly hit Manila, farther to the north. The lowest alert in a four-level typhoon warning system was issued in the flood-prone capital area, meaning it could experience winds of up to 37 mph and rain. President Benigno Aquino III warned people to leave high-risk areas andassured the public of war-like preparations: three C-130 air force cargo planes and 32 military helicopters and planes on standby, along with 20 navy ships.  “No typhoon can bring Filipinos to their knees if we’ll be united,” he said in a televised address.  — Associated Press          Share on FacebookShare   Share on TwitterTweet          Comments                   Show Comments      Discussion Policy    Comments       SuperFan Badge SuperFan badge holders consistently post smart, timely comments about Washington area sports and teams. More about badges | Request a badge   Culture Connoisseur Badge Culture Connoisseurs consistently offer thought-provoking, timely comments on the arts, lifestyle and entertainment. More about badges | Request a badge   Fact Checker Badge Fact Checkers contribute questions, information and facts to The Fact Checker. 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