Yulanda:
The Philippines was just hit by one of the most powerful storms recorded in history. Dubbed Yulanda by the Philippines and Hainan by the international community, the super typhoon has caused much destruction along the central islands of the Philippines. Winds reaching up to 320 kilometers per hour with torrential rain brought water from the seas into the mainland, devastating the infrastructure and killing hundreds. It is estimated by the Red Cross that up to 10,000 are dead. The Philippines faces one of the worst catastrophes in its history as a nation.
Although the response to this particular calamity is significantly better than some of the previous calamities, much can still be improved in terms of readiness and responsiveness. The Philippines was not prepared for such a powerful typhoon. We do not have the infrastructure that more economically developed countries have to withstand the destructive power of the storm. Much of the areas that were hit badly by the storm consist of low standing buildings; many of which lack the solid steel foundations that would be consistent in many developed nations. Because of the more unstable buildings, the infrastructure was much more easily destroyed by the winds and waves.
I knew a typhoon was going to hit the Philippines, but I didn't know how hard it would hit. During this time, I was busy with family matters but I could still feel the effects of the storm. Despite being kilometers away from the storms path, I could still feel and see the effects of the super typhoon. Visibility was limited to 100 meters and the wind was blowing the rain horizontally. When I opened the news on the television, I could clearly see that the central islands of the Philippines were getting the brunt of the force. I could see the difficulty and suffering that the storm was causing; the destruction that it bore. I did not like the fact that I felt pretty useless and minute in comparison to the storm
Will finish later...
