Tacloban: Two Months after Typhoon Yolanda
On Nov. 8, 2013, Typhoon Yolanda (International name: Typhoon Haiyan) hit the Philippines recorded as the most powerful tropical cyclone and deadliest typhoon. It had winds in excess of 185km/h which caused major damage and loss of life mainly due to storm surge. It left a path of destruction and fatalities through most of the provinces in Visayas.
According to the National Risk Reduction and Management Council, to date there are 6,201 dead, 28,626 injured and 1,785 missing across the 9 Regions in the Philippines. With 11 million people affected by the damage and 4 million people displaced, the estimated cost of damages totaled almost P37 trillion to infrastructure and agriculture.
As the news drew extensive international news coverage, it gave way to huge relief efforts both local and international. The international aid pledges alone now amounts to USD 573 billion according to Foreign Aid Transparency Hub (FAiTH) from different countries and international organizations. The disaster brought in thousands of local volunteers and monetary pledges as well.
The major focus of devastation has been on Tacloban City located on the east coast of Samar and Leyte because of its location and the large population in low lying areas. The storm surge in Tacloban had been as high as 4.5 meters and caused flooding extending to 1 kilometer inland on the east coast. Almost 90 percent of all structures were either destroyed or damaged. Death toll in Tacloban alone reached around 2,000 persons.
Two months after the typhoon hit Tacloban, the images show the scenes of survivors and landscapes of this once bustling city.
