On November 8, one of the most forceful typhoons ever recorded wreaked havoc on the Philippines. Haiyan, known locally as Yolanda, first made landfall at 7:00 am over Guiuan in Eastern Samar. Throughout the course of the day, Haiyan made landfall a total of five more times, sparing nothing. This mega typhoon made history with a 370 mile width, creating winds that reached a tearing 235 mph. The height of the storm surge reached 17 feet in Tacloban, the central area of the Philippines, where heavy flooding was recorded. The highest recorded rainfall was an astonishing 27 inches on the southeast corner of the island of Leyete. These already frightening statistics do not even include the horrific tolls taken on the people of the Philippines.
The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs has reported that a grand total of 13 million people have been affected by typhoon Haiyan’s destructive force. The death toll, which includes two Americans, is up to 4,200 with over 12,500 injured and almost 1,200 still missing. In fact, it is predicted that the exact death toll may never be known. However, an even more astonishing figure of three million people have been displaced, forced to find some sort of shelter or to make do without, as almost 500,000 homes were damaged; 2.5 million of these people are still in need of food assistance.
Foreign countries, including the United States as well as various relief foundations, have rushed to aid those in need in the Philippines. So far the United Nations has allocated 300 million dollars for supplies and services and a total of $81 million ($20 million of which came from the United States) has been donated by outside organizations and individuals.