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'Massive destruction' as typhoon kills at least 1, 200 in Philippines, says Red Cross
1, 200 dead! Looks like a major disaster this time.
I feel for this poor island country with her sweet and gentle girls.
Hope the honeys are still alive and well.
[url]http://news.yahoo.com/typhoon-haiyan-flattens-houses-triggers-floods-philippines-least-011653699.html[/url]
'Massive destruction' as typhoon kills at least 1, 200 in Philippines, says Red Cross.
Reuters By Manuel Mogato.
At least 1, 000 killed in Philippine city: Red Cross Reuters.
Super typhoon Haiyan slams into Philippines, at least three dead Reuters.
At least 1, 000 killed in Philippine city: Red Cross Reuters.
1, 200 feared dead in typhoon-devastated Philippines AFP.
One of world's strongest storms hits Philippines Associated Press.
TACLOBAN, Philippines (Reuters). One of the strongest typhoons ever to make landfall devastated the central Philippines, killing more than 1, 000 people in one city alone and 200 in another province, the Red Cross estimated on Saturday, as reports of high casualties began to emerge.
A day after Typhoon Haiyan churned through the Philippine archipelago in a straight line from east to west, rescue teams struggled to reach far-flung regions, hampered by washed out roads, many choked with debris and fallen trees.
The death toll is expected to rise sharply from the fast-moving storm, whose circumference eclipsed the whole country and which late on Saturday was heading for Vietnam.
Among the hardest hit was coastal Tacloban in central Leyte province, where preliminary estimates suggest more than 1, 000 people were killed, said Gwendolyn Pang, secretary general of the Philippine Red Cross, as water surges rushed through the city.
"An estimated more than 1, 000 bodies were seen floating in Tacloban as reported by our Red Cross teams," she told Reuters."In Samar, about 200 deaths. Validation is ongoing."
She expected a more exact number to emerge after a more precise counting of bodies on the ground in those regions.
Witnesses said bodies covered in plastic were lying on the streets. Television footage shows cars piled atop each other.
"The last time I saw something of this scale was in the aftermath of the Indian Ocean Tsunami," said Sebastian Rhodes Stampa, head of the U. N. Disaster Assessment Coordination Team sent to Tacloban, referring to the 2004 earthquake and tsunami.
"This is destruction on a massive scale. There are cars thrown like tumbleweed and the streets are strewn with debris."
The category 5 "super typhoon" weakened to a category 4 on Saturday, though forecasters said it could strengthen again over the South China Sea en route to Vietnam.
Authorities in 15 provinces in Vietnam have started to call back boats and prepare for possible landslides. Nearly 300, 000 people were moved to safer areas in two provinces alone. The Nang and Quang Nam. According to the government's website.
The Philippines has yet to restore communications with officials in Tacloban, a city of about 220, 000. A government official estimated at least 100 were killed and more than 100 wounded, but conceded the toll would likely rise sharply.
The national disaster agency has yet to confirm the toll but broken power poles, trees, bent tin roofs and splintered houses littered the streets of the city about 580 km (360 miles) southeast of Manila.
"IT WAS LIKE A TSUNAMI"
The airport was nearly destroyed as raging seawaters swept through the city, shattering the glass of the airport tower, leveling the terminal and overturning nearby vehicles.
"Almost all houses were destroyed, many are totally damaged. Only a few are left standing," said Major Rey Balido, a spokesman for the national disaster agency.
Local television network ABS-CBN showed images of looting in one of the city's biggest malls, with residents carting away everything from appliances to suitcases and grocery items.
Airport manager Efren Nagrama. 47, said water levels rose up to four meters (13 ft) in the airport.
"It was like a tsunami. We escaped through the windows and I held on to a pole for about an hour as rain, seawater and wind swept through the airport. Some of my staff survived by clinging to trees. I prayed hard all throughout until the water subsided."
Across the country, about a million people took shelter in 37 provinces after President Benigno Aquino appealed to those in the typhoon's path to leave vulnerable areas.
"For casualties, we think it will be substantially more," Aquino told reporters.
Officials started evacuating residents from low-lying areas, coastlines and hilly villages as early as three days before the typhoon struck on Friday, officials said. But not all headed the call to evacuate.
"I saw those big waves and immediately told my neighbors to flee," said Floremil Mazo, a villager in southeastern Davao Oriental province.
Meteorologists said the impact may not be as strong as feared because the storm was moving so quickly, reducing the risk of flooding and landslides from torrential rain, the biggest causes of typhoon casualties in the Philippines.
Ferry services and airports in the central Philippines remained closed, hampering aid deliveries to Tacloban, although the military said three C-130 transport planes managed to land at its airport on Saturday.
At least two people were killed on the tourist destination island of Cebu, three in Iloilo province and another three in Coron town in southwestern Palawan province, radio reports said.
"I never thought the winds would be that strong that they could destroy my house," LynLyn Golfan of Cebu said in a television interview while sifting through the debris.
By Saturday afternoon, the typhoon was hovering 765 km west of San Jose in southwestern Occidental Mindoro province, packing winds of a maximum 185 kph, with gusts of up to 220 kph.
The storm lashed the islands of Leyte and Samar with 275-kph wind gusts and 5-6 meter (15-19 ft) waves on Friday before scouring the northern tip of Cebu province. It weakened slightly as it moved west-northwest near the tourist island of Boracay, later hitting Mindoro island.
Haiyan was the second category 5 typhoon to hit the Philippines this year after Typhoon Usagi in September. An average of 20 typhoons strike every year, and Haiyan was the 24th so far this year.
Last year, Typhoon Bopha flattened three towns in southern Mindanao, killing 1, 100 people and causing damage of more than $1 billion.
(Additional reporting by Rosemarie Francisco, Manuel Mogato and Karen Lema in Manila and Nguyen Phuong Linh in Hanoi; Editing by Jason Szep and Nick Macfie)
Where's the other Action?
A lot of talk in the manila cetion is about burgos (to expensive) , MBC (too many fuglies) , and internet hookups (too time consuming). Where's the mainstream action that caters to the philipinos, like "casas" and streetwalkers. What about cheap action like 500-1000p. Surely there has to be something more out there?
Sites to make direct donations to victims of typhoon Haiyan
This massive typhoon Haiyan may well be one of the worst natural disaster this century for the poor island country of the Phil. It was a cat 4 compared to hurricane Katrina against New Orleans, which was a cat 3. The pictures of bloated dead bodies are shocking, just like the Tsunami that happened to the Adaman sea.
I am a soft touch. I cannot forget all the fun times and tender moments I spent with the nice, sweet girls of the Philippines. Their pains are my pains.
Below are sites to make direct donations to typhoon Haiyan:
[url]http://news.yahoo.com/how-to-help-donate-to-victims-of-super-typhoon-haiyan-195111618.html[/url]
They take credit / debit cards on line so you don't have to bother mailing.
I understand some non-profit charities are just pork barrels for their highly-paid executives to loot and fatten themselves. Some charities send very low percentages of donations to relieve victims, but pay their executives outrageous salaries. You need to concentrate your hard-earned donations on those charities that will benefit victims the most.
Below are the ratings of the best ones:
[url]http://www.charitynavigator.org/index.cfm?bay=topten.detail&listid=113#.UoKL-_k_slI[/url]
Rank Charity Overall Score.
1 Globus Relief 69. 95
2 Matthew 25: Ministries 69. 95
3 Books For Africa 69. 94
4 Project C. U. R. E. 69. 92
5 Direct Relief 69. 90
6 Midwest Food Bank 69. 89
7 Step Up For Students 69. 88
8 Charities Aid Foundation America 69. 85
9 American Endowment Foundation 69. 85
10 Medical Teams International 69. 83
DIRECT RELIEF ranks as top 5 and is appealing for donations to the Phil. I urge the bros to send their donations via DIRECT RELIEF:
[url]https://forgood.yahoo.com/donate/67/news[/url]
Donations to DIRECT RELIEF via Network for Good
Donations to DIRECT RELIEF are processed by NETWORK FOR GOOD, which deducts 4. 75% processing fee, not bad. Deductions are tax deductible.
Xxxxxxxxxxxxx.
Dear Luke,
On behalf of your favorite charities and Yahoo, we thank you for your generous support!
Your donation is being made to Network for Good, a nonprofit, donor advised fund (tax I'd 68-0480736) , which processes donations made through Yahoo! And distributes them to your chosen charity. Your credit card will therefore list Network For Good (or simply,"Network for Good") , not the names of the charities receiving the funds. All donations are final and may not be refunded. Details of your donation are listed in the Donation Record below.
Your donation, combined with donations from many of Yahoo! 's 700 million users, results in greater impact for the causes that are important to you. That's How Good Grows on Yahoo. Visit [url]http://forgood.yahoo.com/[/url] To learn more and find out how to stay involved.
Thank you again for visiting Yahoo!
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DONATION RECORD.
Your contribution is tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law. You may save or print this receipt for your records and the information will be conveniently stored in your donation history for you to access at any time. This email certifies that you have made this donation as a charitable contribution and you are not receiving any goods or services in return. This receipt may be useful to you when completing your tax return.
Yada yada
