 Koppu approaching the Philippines prior to peak strength on October 17 | |
| Meteorological history | |
|---|---|
| Formed | October 12, 2015 |
| Dissipated | October 21, 2015 |
| Very strong typhoon | |
| 10-minute sustained (JMA) | |
| Highest winds | 185 km/h (115 mph) |
| Lowest pressure | 925 hPa (mbar); 27.32 inHg |
| Category 4-equivalent super typhoon | |
| 1-minute sustained (SSHWS/JTWC) | |
| Highest winds | 240 km/h (150 mph) |
| Lowest pressure | 926 hPa (mbar); 27.34 inHg |
| Overall effects | |
| Fatalities | 62 total |
| Damage | $948 million (2015 USD) |
| Areas affected | |
| IBTrACS | |
Part of the 2015 Pacific typhoon season | |
Typhoon Koppu, known in the Philippines as Super Typhoon Lando, was a powerful and devastating tropical cyclone that struck Luzon in October 2015. It was the twenty-fourth named storm and the fifteenth typhoon of the annual typhoon season. Similar to Goni earlier in the year, Koppu originated from a tropical disturbance east of the Mariana Islands on October 10. Moving briskly west, the system consolidated into a tropical depression the following day and further into a tropical storm on October 13. Situated over the warm waters of the Philippine Sea, Koppu quickly deepened. The storm reached its peak intensity on October 17 with ten-minute sustained winds of 185 km/h (115 mph) according to the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA). The Joint Typhoon Warning Center assessed Koppu to have been a Category 4-equivalent super typhoon with one-minute sustained winds of 240 km/h (150 mph). The storm subsequently made landfall at this strength near Casiguran, Philippines. Rapid weakening ensued due to interaction with the mountainous terrain of Luzon and the disheveled core of Koppu emerged over the South China Sea on October 19. Unfavorable environmental conditions inhibited reorganization and the system diminished to a tropical depression on October 21.
Prior to Koppu's landfall, PAGASA raised Public Storm Warning Signals for numerous provinces; nearly 24,000 people evacuated accordingly. The storm caused tremendous structural damage in coastal provinces, with thousands of structures damaged or destroyed. Prolonged, heavy rains—peaking at 1,077.8 mm (42.43 in) in Baguio—exacerbated the storm's effects and resulted in widespread flooding. 62 people were killed across the country and more than 100,000 others were displaced. Preliminary damage totals amount to ₱14.4 billion (US$313 million).