Typhoon Haiyan Hits the Philippines

At 5:00 AM on Friday, November 8^th, the worst typhoon in recorded history hit the Philippines. This storm, according to many sources, was more powerful and more destructive that Hurricane Katrina in 2005 (three and a half times more powerful, actually, and was big enough to stretch from Spain to Sweden, according to CNN). Its winds reached 195 mph at landfall with gusts rising to 235 mph, which surpassed that of record-holding Hurricane Camille, which hit the Gulf Coast in 1969 with 190 mph winds.

Government officials and meteorologists had predicted it to be one of the worst storms ever seen, and Philippine communities have dealt with hazards such as typhoons, hurricanes, and tsunamis before. Most communities had already had disaster committees in place before this one, called Typhoon Haiyan, or to the Philippines, Typhoon Yolanda. Relief agencies are often on standby in Philippines and other areas that are most likely to be hit and hugely impacted by these events. Knowing that this was coming and having warning systems already in place, 700,000 people were able to evacuate before the storm made landfall.

But they were still not prepared for the kind of devastation Haiyan caused. Even the shelters to which people evacuated to did not all stand up to its force. Many of these shelters were destroyed and people died there as well. People feared that the death toll would be upwards of around 10,000 people. So far, the recorded deaths seem to be more around 2,275.

One of the worst-hit cities in the Philippines was Tacloban, where a 16-foot-high wall of ocean water slammed down and decimated everything in the city. In total, across the whole country, about 80,000 homes had been, leaving 582,000 people homeless.

The storm itself was disastrous, but there are several other factors and consequences of this storm that contributed to the death toll, the wall of water that came afterward being one of them. It came suddenly, and people got swept off their feet and washed away in the powerful waves. Then, with this wall of water, came debris. Debris of all kinds came rushing in, killing many in their wake. Once the waters receded all this debris sat in piles and piles and piles, and people were indeed trapped. In Talcoban alone, they found 100 bodies.

However, the death toll could keep climbing due to lack of food and water. People who survived the initial storm and its immediate aftermath could end up dying from dehydration and starvation. Relief and aid organizations are doing what they can, but there have been several delays. According to my sources, a lot of the aid supplies are in the country, but are unable to reach the areas that need it most simply because of the destruction Haiyan caused. Vehicles can’t get to the areas because roads have been destroyed and the ones that weren't are blocked by debris. For most places, it now takes 10 hours for relief agencies to get there.

There are several other health concerns that organizations have to try to address. There are expectant mothers who need care for themselves and their soon-to-arrive children, people with conditions such as heart disease need medication. Water could be contaminated and lead to infectious diseases. Unsanitary conditions could lead to cholera. An epidemic is a real concern for the living in the Philippines right now.

Health isn’t the only issue either. There is news of looting of places like damaged grocery stores occurring in people’s desperation to find food and water, and in one instance, a rice warehouse got stormed by crowds and a wall collapsed, killing eight people.

Politics also plays a role. Reports say that aid convoys have been attacked by rebels within the Philippines, by members of the New People’s Army, the militant wing of the Communist Party of the Philippines. Obviously, this doesn't help the problems relief organizations are already having with getting supplies to the affected communities.

Hopefully, ways can soon be found to more quickly, effectively, and safely transport supplies and give the aid needed to all those in the Philippines that find themselves without water, or food, or shelter. Hopefully, we can get people back on their feet, and return the Philippines to some level of normalcy in the near future.

Sources and other Resources 

CNN Talks about the Struggle to Survive

CNN Discusses "What if Typhoon Haiyan had hit the US?"

CNN Tracks Haiyan's Havoc

BBC News and the Health Challenges of Haiyan

BBC News Answers Common Questions about Disaster Management and Aid after Haiyan

BBC News Compares Aeiral Shots of the Philippines Before and After the Storm

NBC News Talks about the Future of Super Typhoons

The Telegraph Reports on Gun Culture in the Philippines and how it has hindered relief efforts

The Telegraph article about aid convoys coming under attack