Typhoon Haiyan Slammed into the Philippines Friday Nov 08,2013

 
The most powerful cyclone in three decades battered the Philippines on Friday, killing at least one, forcing hundreds of thousands to flee their homes, and cutting power and communication

Typhoon Haiyan was packing maximum sustained winds of 235 kph and gusts of up to 275 kph as it made landfall over Guiuan town in Eastern Samar province, 650 kilometres south-east of Manila, the national weather bureau said

In many of the affected areas, toppled trees blocked roads, windows of some buildings shattered, and houses made from light materials were damaged by Haiyan’s fierce winds

More than 125,000 people were evacuated from homes in coastal communities and areas prone to floods or landslides in 22 provinces before Haiyan hit, according to the national disaster relief agency

Schools, businesses and government offices were closed in the affected areas, while air and sea travel was cancelled.At least 12 airports in the Philippines were closed, the civil aviation authority said

Several power plants tripped overnight, cutting off the supply of electricity to the eastern and central provinces

Philippine broadcaster ABS-CBN showed fierce winds whipping buildings and vehicles as storm surges swamped Tacloban with debris-laden floodwaters.

President Benigno Aquino III said the casualties "will be substantially more," but gave no figure or estimate. He said the government's priority was to restore power and communications in isolated areas to allow for the delivery of relief and medical assistance to victims

The president of the European Commission, Jose Manuel Barroso, said in a message to Aquino that the EC had sent a team to assist the Philippine authorities and that "we stand ready to contribute with urgent relief and assistance if so required in this hour of need."

The central Philippine city of Tacloban was in ruins Saturday, a day after being ravaged by Typhoon Haiyan.The typhoon slammed into six central Philippine islands on Friday, wiping away buildings and leveling seaside homes. At least 118 of the confirmed deaths were on hardest-hit Leyte Island, where Tacloban is located
Tacloban is near the Red Beach on Leyte Island where U.S. Gen. Douglas MacArthur waded ashore on October 20, 1944, fulfilling his famous pledge, "I shall return," made in March 1942 after President Franklin D. Roosevelt ordered him to relocate to Australia as Japanese forces pushed back U.S. and Filipino defenders.
Tacloban was the first city to be liberated by U.S. and Filipino forces and served as the Philippines' temporary capital for several months. It is also the home town of former Filipino first lady Imelda Marcos, whose nephew, Alfred Romualdez, is the city's mayor.

The airport in Tacloban, a city of 200,000 located about 580 kilometers (360 miles) southeast of Manila, looked like a muddy wasteland of debris Saturday, with crumpled tin roofs and upturned cars. The airport tower's glass windows were shattered, and air force helicopters were busy flying in and out at the start of relief operations.

The airport devastated by powerful Typhoon Haiyan that slammed into Tacloban city, Leyte province, Philippines is seen on Saturday, Nov. 9, 2013

The Red Cross believes that 1200 people may have lost their lives int the trail of devastation caused by Typhoon Haiyan when it slammed into six islands at speeds of up to 170mph (274kph)

The body count from the havoc wrought by typhoon Haiyan could be ten times as many as first feared, with the charity revealing it feared 1,000 had been killed in the central city of Tacloban and 200 in Samar province alone

International Development Secretary Justine Greening has activated the UK's Rapid Response Facility (RRF) which will provide £5 million to organisations to help up to half a million victims

Millions have been made homeless by the typhoon and plastic sheeting to build shelters is among a £600,000 British shipment of emergency equipment

UNICEF estimated that about 1.7 million children are living in areas impacted by the typhoon, according to the agency's representative in the Philippines Tomoo Hozumi. UNICEF's supply division in Copenhagen was loading 60 metric tonnes of relief supplies for an emergency airlift expected to arrive in the Philippines on Tuesday Nov 12,2013

Massive damage has been left in the Philippines by Typhoon Haiyan along with soaring death estimates. The Govt in Manila has said 4.5 million people have been impacted by the storm and some 630,000 residents need emergency shelter

More than 330,900 people were displaced and 4.3million 'affected' by the typhoon in 36 provinces, the UN has said 

The storm is one of the most powerful ever recorded and huge waves swept away entire coastal villages and destroyed up to 80 per cent of the area in its path

Tacloban city, which has a population of 200,000 some 360 miles south east of Manila - it was feared the death toll would be very high

picture shows acres of flooded rice fields in the Iloilo Province

 Residents try to salvage belongings in Tacloban city, Leyte province

Bodies still lie in the roads and thousands of homes lie destroyed near the fish port after super Typhoon Haiyan battered Tacloban city

Survivors survey the damaged houses in Tacloban city, Leyte province

Survivors have begun find corpses as they rummage through the wreckages of houses in a bid to find food to feed their starving families

Catholic church in Tacloban has welcomed victims, many buildings have been broken into by desperate looters

Those who escaped the awesome power of Haiyan now face a grim battle to rebuild their lives among the sprawling wreckage

Ships that washed ashore into a coastal community after Typhoon Haiyan hit the province of Leyte in central Philippines

A ship lies among the ruins of a built-up area of Tacloban after the vessel was swept inland.

An aerial shot from a Philippines Air Force helicopter shows the devastation left by typhoon Haiyan in Guiuan, Eastern Samar province, central Philippines

A battered town in Samar province in central Philippines

Toll Rises to 5598

As more bodies have been recovered in typhoon affected areas in central Philippines, the toll rose to 5,598, authorities said on Friday Nov 29,2013
The Philippine National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) said that among the 38 latest fatalities, 15 were found from Tacloban city, and 23 from Capiz province, Xinhua reported.

The people who were injured at the height of typhoon Haiyan, local name Yolanda, stood at 26,136.

The number of missing has increased to 1,759.

The cost of damages to agriculture and infrastructures is about $637 million.

Note

Haiyan, which brought rains to as far as Manila and nearby northern provinces, was stronger than typhoon Bopha that left more than 1,800 people dead or missing in the southern region of Mindanao in 2012

Meteorologists said Haiyan is the largest typhoon in the world since typhoon Tip in October 1979, which killed nearly 100 people in Japan and Guam

Satellite and aerial images of before and after the storm show the extent of the damage in the country's low-lying areas, such as Tacloban on Leyte Island and Guiuan, in Eastern Samar province

 The airport buildings were smashed, trees uprooted and vehicles overturned by vicious winds. However, a limited number of planes are now landing, bringing much-needed supplies

Guiuan was among the first areas hit by the typhoon. Many of the area's buildings have been reduced to piles of debris and locals say much of the town has been destroyed

Large-scale assistance has yet to reach Guiuan, a town of 40,000 people. Residents have been forced to scavenge for the food, water and medicine they need

More than eleven million people have been affected in the Philippines, with more than 670,000 people left homeless.So far the death toll is confirmed at 1,774, but this is expected to rise significantly

The United Nations has released $25 million in emergency funds to provide food, temporary shelters, health services, drinking water and sanitation

Aid At A Glance

Australia      : $9.3m package, including medical staff, shelter materials, water containers and hygiene kits
Japan           : $10m, including tents and blankets. 25-person medical team already sent
South Korea: $5m plus a 40-strong medical team
Indonesia     : Logistical aid including aircraft, food, generators and medicine
UAE             : $10m in humanitarian aid
US                : $20m in humanitarian aid, 90 marines, aircraft carrier plus logistics support
UK               : $16m (£10m) package including emergency shelter, water and household items. HMS Daring deployed to region


People are growing increasingly desperate for food, water and medical supplies in typhoon-hit parts of the Philippines.Hundreds are queuing for relief goods including water and medicines