While Typhoon Haiyan appears to be the deadliest natural disaster on record to hit the Philippines, the country is no stranger to major storms.
Doomed by geography and hobbled by poverty, the Philippines has long tried to minimise the damage caused by the 20 or so typhoons that hit thesprawling archipelago every year. But despite a combination of preparation and mitigation measures, high death tolls and destruction persist.
The Philippines' location in the northwestern Pacific puts it right in the pathway of the world's No. 1 typhoon generator, according to meteorologists.
The country of more than 7,000 islands is hit by more storms each year than any other nation - about four times more than countries around the Arabian Sea and the Bay of Bengal, said government meteorologist Jori Loiz. It's often the first to welcome storms that eventually hit Vietnam and China to the west, and Taiwan, Hong Kong and Japan to the north.
The Philippine archipelago is also located in the Pacific "Ring of Fire," where earthquakes and volcanic activity are common. A strong quake last month that killed more than 220 people and destroyed thousands of homes in the central Philippines was sandwiched between two powerful typhoons - Haiyan and Usagi, which nipped the northern Philippines in September.
As many as 10,000 people are believed to have died in Typhoon Haiyan, which slammed into six central Philippine islands on Friday.
Image 1 of 9: A resident carries boxes of milk as he passes by ships washed ashore by strong waves in Tacloban city. Photo / AP
Here's a look at the deadliest storms to lash the Philippines before Haiyan:
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TROPICAL STORM THELMA, November 2-7, 1991, 5,101 deaths
The storm dumped heavy rain onto the central Philippines' Leyte Island, triggering flash floods that swept people, homes and vehicles into the sea in Ormoc City, causing most of the deaths. People were also killed elsewhere on Leyte and other central islands.
Powerful winds and floodwaters from the typhoon flattened homes as it smashed ashore on southern Davao Oriental province. Continuing westward, it blew over mountains, with heavy rains triggering flash floods in nearby Compostela Valley province that washed down tons of mud and boulders on helpless communities.
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TYPHOON IKE, August 31-September 4, 1984, 1,492 deaths
Ike brought heavy rains that flooded many areas in the northeastern part of the main southern island of Mindanao and the central Philippines. The overflowing waters of Lake Mainit in Surigao del Norte province reportedly killed several hundred people.
One of the strongest typhoons to hit the country, Agnes battered the central Philippines, overflowing rivers and causing massive floods.
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TROPICAL STORM WASHI, December 16, 2011, 1,080 deaths
One of the few major storms to hit the southern Philippines, Washi caused flash floods that cascaded down mountain slopes with logs and uprooted trees, swelling rivers while people were asleep. The late-season storm turned the worst-hit coastal cities of Cagayan de Oro and nearby Iligan into muddy wastelands filled with overturned cars and broken trees.
Trix smashed into the Bicol region on the main island of Luzon's southern tip with over 220 kilometre per hour winds.
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TYPHOON AMY, December 9, 1951, 991 deaths
Most of those killed by floods and landslides from this late-season storm were children. Like Typhoon Haiyan, Amy also made landfall in Guiuan on Samar Island. It also followed the same general track as Haiyan and caused massive storm surges.
Large storm surges and heavy rain unleashed volcanic debris from the Mayon volcano, wreaking havoc on Legazpi city in Albay province, southeast of Manila. Strong winds, floods and storm surges caused more deaths and damage before Nina exited to the South China Sea.
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TYPHOON FENGSHEN, June 18-23, 2008, 938 deaths
Most of the dead from Fengshen were passengers of the ferry MV Princess of the Stars, which capsized after being battered by huge waves and sank off Romblon island in the central Philippines.
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TYPHOON ANGELA, October 30-November 4, 1995, 882 deaths
The Bicol region, southeast of Manila, suffered the most with floods and landslides before the typhoon, which then was reported to be the strongest to hit the country since the 1970s, blew west and also damaged buildings in Manila.
