November 2013 Current Events: Disasters & Science News

Updated August 5, 2020 | Infoplease Staff

World News | Business News | U.S. News

Here are the key events in Science and Disasters news for the month of November 2013.


  • Typhoon Haiyan Kills Thousands in the Philippines (Nov. 8): Typhoon Haiyan, one of the strongest storms to ever make landfall, hits several islands in the central Philippines. Tacloban, a coastal city with a population of 220,000, is destroyed. According to the Social Welfare and Development Department, Typhoon Haiyan, called Typhoon Yolanda in the Philippines, affects 4.28 million people in at least 270 towns. Electricity and phone service is knocked out in many areas. Philippine Red Cross Secretary General Gwendolyn Pang is able to text this message, "The local Red Cross chapter has seen many bodies. An actual body count has to be done to determine the exact number." According to meteorologists, Typhoon Haiyan hits the Philippines with winds of up to 190 miles per hour. (Nov. 9): A United Nations disaster team arrives to assess the damage. "This is destruction on a massive scale. There are cars thrown like tumbleweed. The last time I saw something of this scale was in the aftermath of the Indian Ocean tsunami," says United Nations team member Sebastian Rhodes Stampa in a statement in which he refers to the 2004 tsunami that hit Indonesia. (Nov. 20): According to the Philippines National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council, the death toll has reached 4,011. Rescue teams continue to search for the 1,602 people who remain missing. While electricity is still out in some areas, some stores have reopened and residents have started rebuilding their homes.

  • Plane Crash in Russia Kills Everyone on Board (Nov. 17): All 44 passengers and 6 crew members onboard Tatarstan Airlines Flight 363 are killed when the plane crashes while attempting to land at the Kazan International Airport in Russia. It is the plane's second attempt to land. The plane explodes on impact.

  • Several Tornadoes Strike the Midwest (Nov. 17): At least 60 tornadoes hit the Midwest. It is the deadliest and most violent tornado outbreak on record in Illinois for the month of November. Along with Illinois, tornadoes touch down in Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Missouri, Ohio and Tennessee. Thousands lose power. Sixty tornadoes are confirmed, 119 are reported. Eight people die due to the tornadoes, strong winds and heavy rain.

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