Video Link – Click HereTyphoon Haiyan, called typhoon “Yolanda” in the Philippines, caused catastrophic damage throughout much of the islands of Leyte, where cities and towns were largely destroyed.[61] As of 6:00 a.m. local time on January 14, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) confirmed 6,201 fatalities across the country, 5,803 of those taking place in the Eastern Visayas.[2] The actual death toll remains unclear, with the total loss of life estimated as low as 2,500 by President Benigno Aquino III. As of November 13, Red Cross estimated that 22,000 people were missing while approximately 65,500 people were listed as such through Google Person Finder. Google, however, cautioned that this value is not to be read into, as shown during the 2011 Thoku earthquake and tsunami when more than 600,000 names were listed in contrast to the final death toll of roughly 20,000.[61]In Surigao City, 281.9 mm (11.10 in) of rainfall was recorded, much of which fell in under 12 hours.[62] Storm surges were also recorded in many places. In the island of Leyte and Samar, PAGASA measured 56 meter (1519 ft) waves.[63] In Tacloban, Leyte, the terminal building of Tacloban Airport was destroyed by a 5.2 m (17 ft) storm surge up to the height of the second story.[64] Along the airport, a storm surge of 4 m (13 ft) was estimated.[65] Waves of 4.6 m (15 ft) were also estimated.[66] On the western coast of Samar, the storm surge was not as significant.[67]Guiuan in Eastern Samar was the point of Haiyan’s first landfall, and was severely affected due to the typhoon’s impacts.[68] Nearly all structures in the township suffered at least partial damage, many of which were completely flattened.[69] For several days following Haiyan’s first landfall, the damage situation in the fishing town remained unclear due to lack of communication.[70] However, the damage could finally be assessed after Philippine Air Force staff arrived in Guiuan on November 10.[71]There was widespread devastation from the storm surge in Tacloban City especially in San Jose, with many buildings being destroyed, trees knocked over or broken, and cars piled up.[66] The low-lying areas on the eastern side of Tacloban city were hardest hit, with some areas completely washed away. Flooding also extended for 1 km (0.62 mi) inland on the east coast of the province.[66] City administrator Tecson John Lim stated that roughly 90 percent of the city had been destroyed.[61] Journalists on the ground have described the devastation as, “off the scale, and apocalyptic”.[72] Most families in Samar and Leyte lost some family members or relatives; families came in from outlying provinces looking for relatives, especially children, who may have been washed away.[73] The entire first floor of the Tacloban City Convention Center, which was serving as an evacuation shelter, was submerged by storm surge. Many residents in the building were caught off-guard by the fast rising waters and subsequently drowned or were injured in the building.[74]Although wind speeds were extreme, the major cause of damage and loss of life appears to have been storm surge. The major focus of devastation appears to have been on the east coast of Samar and Leyte, with a particular focus on Tacloban, because of its location between Samar and Leyte, and the large population in low lying areas.[67] Philippine Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Mar Roxas said the scale of the relief operation that was now required was overwhelming, with some places described as a wasteland of mud and debris.Sebastian Rhodes Stampa, head of a UN disaster assessment co-ordination team, said there was “destruction on a massive scale” in Tacloban. “There are cars thrown like tumbleweed and the streets are strewn with debris. The last time I saw something of this scale was in the aftermath of the [2004] Indian Ocean tsunami.”[66] There is little communication in the city, and no mobile phone coverage. Up the east coast of the Leyte there are numerous towns and villages that are completely cut off without any assistance. Large parts of Leyte and Samar are without power and may have no power for a month.[72]The storm crossed the Visayas region for almost a day, causing widespread flooding. In Cebu and Bohol, struck by a magnitude 7.2 earthquake two weeks before, cities were also severely devastated.[76] During the morning of November 8, media stations across the country were able to broadcast live the destruction of Haiyan. However, before afternoon, all communications on the Visayas region failed. The Presidential Communications Department of President Benigno Aquino III had difficulty contacting DILG Secretary Mar Roxas and Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin in Tacloban City to plan relief.[77] Widespread power interruptions, landslides and flash floods were also reported. Major roads were blocked by trees, and impassable. 453 domestic and international airline flights were canceled. Some airports were also closed on November 8 and 9. Ferries were affected. Relief and rescue efforts were underway by November 9, but some places remained isolated and out of communication due to severe damage.

Source: UN-WFP