08 December 2013
Super Typhoon HAIYAN (YOLANDA): Eyewall Video

Reaction to iCyclone's official Super Typhoon HAIYAN (YOLANDA) video has been tremendous.

The piece went viral soon after launch, with over 348,000 views to date—60% of these in the Philippines. Judging from the many comments and eMails I've received, it's clear Filipinos particularly appreciate this documentation of such a cataclysmic event in their country. In 12 breathless minutes, that video shows everything—from before the cyclone struck, through the terrifying inner core, to the aftermath—including the powerful winds and storm surge, the desperate reactions of people trying to survive, and the tremendous destruction left in its wake.

Despite the completeness of that original video, several viewers have asked for a closer look at the eyewall of the cyclone—the violent inner core. So here's a new video called The Height of the Storm, focusing only on the 45 minutes when HAIYAN’s (YOLANDA’s) most intense, most dangerous winds pounded Tacloban City. It includes previously-released footage plus a lot more.

Notice the wind rapidly increases at 6:47 am—as the eyewall sweeps into downtown—and builds to a ferocious climax between 7:10 and 7:30 am. You’ll see lots of whiteouts, swirling, and flying debris! Some initial viewers have described this as some of the most violent tropical-cyclone winds they’ve seen on video.

What do you think?

It was certainly scary to film it—I’ll say that.

—Josh Morgerman