Thousands are dead and millions are homeless after the devastating Typhoon Haiyan made landfall in the Philippines on November 8, 2013. One of the strongest storms on record, this cyclone caused astronomical amounts of damage. People worldwide are working to assist those in need, but there remains a long, difficult road to recovery ahead in the Philippines.
Typhoon Haiyan made landfall in the Philippines as a potent storm with wind speeds estimated at 195 miles per hour, making it possibly the strongest storm ever at landfall. Jon Erdman of the Weather Channel claims that only three tropical systems in the past 40 years have had winds this strong. Located in a tropical area, the Philippines is a frequent target of typhoons, but rarely are they of this magnitude. Despite evacuation efforts, the Weather Channel’s updates on the typhoon report that over 5,000 people have been confirmed dead in the Philippines with over 1,500 more still unaccounted for after the storm hit the country a few weeks ago.
Many countries around the world have expressed their support for the Philippines, donating money and resources to the disaster-stricken nation. The United States has given over $37 million in aid to the Philippines, including shelter materials, hygiene products, and clean water, according to a White House report on the U.S. response to Haiyan.
Assessing the effectiveness of these relief efforts, World History and US Government and Economics teacher Mrs. Raphaels adds, “There are concerns that people have about the relief efforts and with political corruption about how much aid will reach the people who need it.”
Members of local communities were emotionally impacted by the storm and are trying to help the victims. Local churches and community organizations are gathering supplies to send to those in need.
“It’s truly tragic, and we should be sending more aid there and doing all we can to help,” says Caitlin Taylor ’14.
Shaheer Rizwan ‘17 feels that knowledge and technology play a role in preventing future disasters. He states, “We need to increase awareness of natural disasters by improving the technology that predicts these disasters.”
After causing such destruction in the Philippines, the Typhoon continued westward, eventually making another landfall in Vietnam and dissipating as it moved into China. Though a much weaker storm, Typhoon Haiyan caused heavy flooding throughout Vietnam, resulting in several more casualties, says initial reports by the BBC News. Millions of people throughout the Asia-Pacific region were impacted by the storm, their lives forever changed.