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Unexpected Elements

Factual: Science & Nature

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The news you know, the science you don’t. Unexpected Elements looks beyond everyday narratives to discover a goldmine of scientific stories and connections from around the globe. From Afronauts, to why we argue, to a deep dive on animal lifespans: see the world in a new way.

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Unexpected Elements: Typhoon Haiyan

A woman holds a child surrounded by debris in an area devastated by Typhoon Haiyan on November 12, 2013 in Leyte, Philippines

17/11/2013

Typhoon Haiyan

BBC World Service - Unexpected Elements, Typhoon Haiyan

Ferocious winds drove powerful storm surge

The weather patterns behind Typhoon Haiyan;
The truth about the risks to people’s health after disasters;
Forensic DNA matching could help identify victims of the typhoon.

According to the United Nation as many as 11 million people in the Philippines have been affected by the typhoon, some of whom are still waiting for help to reach them. There has been discussion about the need to bury dead bodies and the fear of disease spreading, but Dr Richard Brennan of the WHO explains that the risks are actually not quite as might be expected. 


Forensic DNA matching could help identify victims of Typhoon Haiyan.
Dr Thomas Parsons, Director of Forensics at the International Commission for Missing Persons, and his team have been called in to help in the Philippines. Forensic DNA matching techniques could be used to identify unnamed bodies in the weeks and months to come, helping surviving family members searching for missing relatives.

(Photo credit: A woman holds a child surrounded by debris in an area devastated by Typhoon Haiyan on November 12, 2013 in Leyte, Philippines  ©Getty Images)

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