The Philippines was hit by Super Typhoon Haiyan (locally known as Typhoon Yolanda) last Friday with a prediction that the death toll could reach more than a thousand.
The full amount of the devastation cause by the powerful winds and storm surge is still unknown. The authorities are trying to get more information from areas which have been severely affected and are still isolated due to cut off from communications.
The province of Eastern Visayas experienced the terrifying force of the “monster storm” with communications and power cut off, roads impassable, buildings wiped away and homes near the seashore washed away by the storm surge.
The hardest hit area is Tacloban City in the province of Leyte. The trail of destruction shows debris from destroyed houses and fallen trees which have made all roads impassable. The floodwater caused by the storm surge was as high as 10 feet forcing people to evacuate to safer places.
Interesting facts about Typhoon Haiyan devastation
- Considered as of the of strongest typhoon to hit the country, the storm was reported to have sustained winds of 295 kph (183 mph) or similar to Category 5 hurricane.
- The storm clouds that were formed covered the entire Philippines which was equivalent to the distance between Florida and Canada
- The tropical storm-force winds covered an area which is almost the same size as Germany
- A total of 36 provinces with more than 4.3 million people have been affected.
- More than 800,000 people have been evacuated in 1,223 evacuation centers.
- More than 70,000 families were affected and 350,000 people displaced.
- Thousands of houses have been destroyed.
- Tacloban airport was completely damaged
(Source: Philippine National Red Cross and National Risk Reduction Council)
Relief operations are in progress with both the government and private sectors working hand in hand to deliver food and other supplies to the typhoon victims.
Typhoon Haiyan is now heading toward Vietnam.
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