Typhoon Nina, known in the Philippines as Typhoon Sisang, was the most intense
typhoon
A typhoon is a mature tropical cyclone that develops between 180° and 100°E in the Northern Hemisphere. This region is referred to as the Northwestern Pacific Basin, and is the most active tropical cyclone basin on Earth, accounting for a ...
to strike the
Philippines
The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no),
* bik, Republika kan Filipinas
* ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas
* cbk, República de Filipinas
* hil, Republ ...
since
Typhoon Irma The name Irma has been used for two tropical cyclones in the Atlantic Ocean, one in the Australian region, one in the South-West Indian Ocean, and fifteen in the Western Pacific Ocean.
In the Atlantic Ocean:
* Tropical Storm Irma (1978), formed n ...
in
1981
Events January
* January 1
** Greece enters the European Economic Community, predecessor of the European Union.
** Palau becomes a self-governing territory.
* January 10 – Salvadoran Civil War: The FMLN launches its first major offensiv ...
. Typhoon Nina originated from an area of
convection
Convection is single or multiphase fluid flow that occurs spontaneously due to the combined effects of material property heterogeneity and body forces on a fluid, most commonly density and gravity (see buoyancy). When the cause of the convec ...
near the
Marshall Islands
The Marshall Islands ( mh, Ṃajeḷ), officially the Republic of the Marshall Islands ( mh, Aolepān Aorōkin Ṃajeḷ),'' () is an independent island country and microstate near the Equator in the Pacific Ocean, slightly west of the Internati ...
in mid-November 1987. It gradually became better organized, and on November 19, was first classified as a
tropical cyclone
A tropical cyclone is a rapidly rotating storm system characterized by a low-pressure center, a closed low-level atmospheric circulation, strong winds, and a spiral arrangement of thunderstorms that produce heavy rain and squalls. Depend ...
. Moving west-northwest, Nina attained tropical storm intensity that evening. Late on November 20, Nina passed through the
Chuuk Lagoon in the Federated States of Micronesia. After a brief pause in intensification, Nina intensified into a typhoon on November 22. Two days later, the typhoon intensified suddenly, before attaining its peak 10 minute intensity of . During the afternoon of November 25, Nina moved ashore in
southern Luzon at the same intensity. It gradually weakened over land, before entering the South China Sea and turning to the north. By November 30, Nina dissipated.
Across the Chuuk Lagoon, four people were killed and damage ranged from $30–$40 million (1987
USD). In the capital of
Weno
Weno, formerly Moen, is an island municipality of Chuuk State of the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM). It is the largest town in the FSM. It has an estimated area of 20 square kilometers.
Population
The population was 13,856 at the censu ...
, 85% of dwellings and 50% of government buildings were damaged. Throughout the atoll, at least 1,000 people were rendered homeless, approximately 1,000 houses were damaged, and 39 injuries were reported. While crossing the Philippines, Nina brought extensive damage to the northern portion of the island group. The town of
Matnog sustained the worst damage from the typhoon, where 287 people died. Sixty-one people died in the nearby city of
Verla
Verla at Jaala, Kouvola, Finland, is a well-preserved 19th-century mill village. Situated along the northern Kymi River, the mill, nearby power plants, and residential houses were inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1996 due to its tes ...
, where 98% of all structures were either damaged or destroyed. Four hundred people died, 80% of all crops were destroyed, and 90% of all homes were either damaged or destroyed in the
Sorsogon
Sorsogon, officially the Province of Sorsogon (Bikol language, Bikol: ''Probinsya kan Sorsogon''; Waray language, Waray: ''Probinsya han Sorsogon''; tl, Lalawigan ng Sorsogon), is a Provinces of the Philippines, province in the Philippines locat ...
province. Nearby, in the