Typhoon Nesat (2011)

Also known as: Typhoon Pedring (PAGASA local name) · Typhoon 20W (Joint Typhoon Warning Center designation)

Definition

Typhoon Nesat, known locally as Typhoon Pedring, was a large September 2011 typhoon that struck Luzon with a wide wind field, driving a storm surge into Manila Bay that flooded the capital’s bayside boulevards. The storm battered Aurora and Isabela at landfall, then crossed the Cordillera before exiting into the South China Sea. Days later the unrelated Typhoon Nalgae (Quiel) struck nearly the same areas, compounding the disaster.

Identities

Database	Identifier
Wikipedia	Typhoon Nesat (2011)
Wikidata	Q421227
DBpedia	N/A

Also Known As

Typhoon Pedring (PAGASA local name)
Typhoon 20W (Joint Typhoon Warning Center designation)

Examples and Analogies

Nesat showed what a “wide-front” typhoon does to Manila Bay: like water sloshing in a basin pushed by a giant hand, the surge drove waves over Roxas Boulevard, flooded the US Embassy compound, and tore up the Baywalk seawall. The back-to-back arrival of Nesat and Nalgae offered a natural experiment in compounding hazards, as saturated ground and full reservoirs met a second storm within a week.

Usage Scenarios

Coastal engineers cite the 2011 Manila Bay surge in setting design elevations for bayside reclamation and esplanade projects. The storm pair is used in reservoir-operations training for sequential pre-release decisions at Angat and San Roque dams, and in revising protocol for protecting embassy- and hotel-district basements along the bay.

Strategies

Strategies included pre-emptive evacuation of coastal barangays in Zambales, Bataan, and Cavite around the bay; suspension of classes and trading at the Philippine Stock Exchange; and coordinated dam discharge warnings issued in Filipino radio blocks. Post-storm efforts prioritized desilting drainage mains in Manila and repairing the Baywalk riprap before the year’s next storms.

Security and Safety Measures

Signal No. 4 was raised over Aurora and Isabela at landfall; port operations halted and hundreds of passengers were stranded, then housed in evacuation-friendly holding areas. Rescuers cordoned off collapsed seawall sections along Roxas Boulevard, and barangay patrols guarded shops after floodwater receded.

Historical Context

Nesat formed east of the Philippines in late September 2011 and crossed Luzon on 27 September, killing dozens and damaging agriculture and infrastructure worth billions of pesos before striking Hainan and Vietnam. In Manila it produced one of the most photographed storm-surge floods of the decade, with the bay reclaiming the boulevard built along its edge.

Challenges and Controversies

The flooded US Embassy and battered Baywalk sparked debate over whether bayside development had encroached on natural surge zones, and fisherfolk groups protested delayed boat-loss compensation. Dam operators faced questions over the timing and volume of releases during the twin storms, sharpening calls for real-time disclosure protocols to downstream communities.

References