By Maggie FennessyNovember 7, 2013 started as a normal day in the Philippines. The government had warned of another typhoon, Typhoon Haiyan, just another of the 23 storms that had already passed through this year. Before the storm hit, the government was aiming for zero casualties, a feasible goal as only 25 people died in the previous storm and Vietnam was able to evacuate 600,00 people safely during this very same typhoon.
Approximately 800,000 people in the Philippines were being evacuated to safe shelters, such as public buildings, schools, churches, and government buildings. These buildings were no match for the 6 meter (20ft) storm surges that raged through the Philippines after the typhoon struck. Roofs were blown off as weather officials announced that Haiyan had sustained winds at 235 kilometers (147 miles) per hour, with gusts of 275 kph (170 mph), when it made landfall.
Eduardo del Rosario, head of the Philippines’ disaster response agency, said the speed at which the typhoon sliced through the central islands — 40 kph (25 mph) — helped prevent its 600-kilometer (375-mile) band of rain clouds from dumping enough rain to overflow waterways, which would have caused even more destruction. Flooding from heavy rains is often the main cause of deaths from typhoons. Luckily the Philippines caught that break.
However, since Typhoon Haiyan has passed, the country is still in need of relief effort. Senior presidential aide, Rene Alemendras, was talking to the locals and passed on what they said: “We were ready for the wind. We were not ready for the water.” Between 9 million and 13 million people were affected in 44 provinces, 536 municipalities and 55 cities by Typhoon Hayian. Power is out in the majority of the Philippines. Relief doctors have been flown in to relieve the local doctors. The supply levels are low and doctors have to be creative using local items without the aid of electricity to provide basic health care. One doctor said that as a result of a lack of blood, they are amputating more to prevent diseases and infections that could result from cuts and broken bones.
Many militaries including Britain’s, the United States’ and Australia’s have all committed to evacuating survivors. Men from neighboring communities have been brought in to dig though rubble and collect the bodies. Nationwide, the death toll from the typhoon stands at 3,976, according to authorities, with another 1,598 missing. Many organizations have been set up to help the victims and to fund the reconstruction efforts. The government of President Benigno Aquino III has set up a website called the Foreign Aid Transparency Hub that allows donors to monitor how their donations are being utilized.
Now, more than a week later, relief efforts have been pouring in. In situations such as these, it is nice to see the community come together to aid those in need and how generous many donors and aid workers are. The road to rebuilding the community will be long and hard, but hopefully the Philippines will soon be restored back to its pre-Hayian state.
Margaret Fennessy, Class of 2015, is a Business Administration major at University of Nebraska Kearney. She is from Norfolk, Nebraska, United States, and is currently on exchange at University College Roosevelt.
