Typhoon Vera (1983)

Prior to the arrival of Vera, schools and government offices were shut down. Railway services were suspended; Philippine Airlines called off domestic services.[5] Upon making landfall, Vera became the first storm to hit the nation in eight months[6] while helping to relieve drought conditions.[7] Typhoon Vera killed 123[8] and left 60 others missing across the Philippines,[9] including 100 in Luzon alone.[10] A total of 145 people were also injured.[1] Around 200,000 people were homeless.[10] The typhoon destroyed 29,054 houses[1] and "badly" damaged 5,558 others.[10] A total of 76,346 homes were "partially" damaged, which directly affected 628,985 people.[1] According to authorities, 24,280 persons sought shelter.[11] Moreover, more than 40 domestic flights were canceled due to the storm.[12]

About 80% of Manila's 7 million residents lost power due to the storm.[13] Low-lying areas of Manila were underwater as strong winds blew away roofs of shacks and uprooted trees.[5] Throughout the city, four deaths happened.[14] One man was electrocuted while another man was crushed by debris.[13] Fifty people were confirmed to have died and 2,089 dwellings were damaged in nearby Bataan after storm surge crashed into the area.[15][16] Most of the casualties in Bataan were due to drownings;[16] the city was also the hardest hit by the storm.[17] Throughout the area near Bataan, 10 villages were destroyed.[18] In Pantalan Luma, all but four of the town's 400 huts were destroyed.[18]

About 30 houses in San Pablo, Laguna were either demolished by strong winds or by falling coconut trees.[19] Elsewhere, in Zambales, a woman was killed after she was struck by lightning. In Lucena City, a farmer was swept away via floods and two boys died due to fallen trees.[13] The resort city of Legaspi suffered severe damage because hundreds of dwellings were destroyed, forcing many residents to seek shelter in schools or churches.[5] Along the east coast of Luzon, seven people perished when hit by falling coconut trees in Quezon. Meanwhile, three casualties occurred in a fire in the province of Sorsogon.[14] A total of 15 people drowned in the town of Sexmoan. The nearby towns of Macabebe and Masantol saw two drownings each.[18] In the city of Manila or the provinces of Batangas, Quezon, Laguna, and Cavite, 34,000 people were displaced.[13] Overall, damage totaled $42 million (1983 USD). Infrastructure damage totaled $31 million. However, damage to crops totaled to only $9.4 million[1][nb 2] since residents were just beginning to replant fields.[20]

According to the Philippine Red Cross, 26,845 families necessitated emergency assistance.[21] Government agencies were ordered to arrest profiteers,[22] hoarders and looters.[23] President Ferdinand Marcos ordered all relief agencies to submit damage reports so emergency funds can be issued.[24]

After striking Vietnam, Typhoon Vera claimed three lives[25] and damaged 2,500 houses.[26] Heavy rains helped alleviate a prolonged drought in northern Vietnam that previously prevented the planting of rice.[27] Because Typhoon Vera posed a threat to Southern China, 36 bulletins were issued by the Hong Kong Royal Observatory. A Typhoon signal No. 3 was also issued. After passing south of the area, a peak windspeed of 115 km/h (70 mph) was measured at Tate's Cairn.[28] In addition, the storm generated showers and squally weather in the region. One swimmer drowned due to rough seas.[29]