Watch out my brothers. This one is bad - typhoon Haiyan

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I'm hearing quite a different story regarding Boracay from my buddy who owns Fisheye Divers.

He said, "Hank there us damage, many many trees crashed . Roofs gone, some houses totaled. Power lines down. But really, we have been super lucky. Ada far as I know no casualties. We expect no power for about a week. Diesel is out is stock as well as SMB"

There are some roofs gone, obviously some trees down (but really, not that many) and yes a few of the nippa hit style buildings have been flattened but island wide there really isn't much damage. The worst "roof" damage appears to be to Alta Vista resort given its on a hill and exposed.
I've seen MUCH worse damage from a hit from a category 1 storm and thats in the US where infrastructure is way better and buildings far better to survive that.

In terms of damage i'd say gale more than hurricane of any type. We suffered far far more damage on the west side from the Habagat storms in August/September than from this.

Power was obviously going to go (it was also deliberately turned off from Aklan itself to save on fires and shorts) as the poles and lines are going to come down. You'd expect that - you'd expect that in a gale.

The north and east facing areas obviously got hit far worse but the west/white beach side really experienced nothing at all.

This was taking during the "peak" of the storm on the white beach side...

 

[DevonDiver]

This is an aerial photo showing some damage in Malapascua:

---------- Post added November 10th, 2013 at 12:48 PM ----------

The BBC were reporting this morning that some agencies are estimating the potential death toll to exceed 10,000. The worst affected area being Leyte province.

Many 000,000s are now trapped without shelter, food, water or medical aid. The unique topography of the Philippines meaning that reaching those in need is a "nightmare".

Typhoon Haiyan death toll could reach 10,000 in Philippines | Bangkok Post: breakingnews

The UK is providing £6miillion, along with a rapid-response humanitarian team. Other support is expected from the USA, Australia and New Zealand, amongst others.

The Philippines government has now publicly requested foreign assistance; especially with the provision of C-130 aircraft and helicopters.

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/...rt-for-500000-affected-by-philippines-typhoon

 

[dimac]

a link for malapascua aid

Save Philippine Seas, Help Malapascua

 

[DevonDiver]

More details and photos for Malapascua on this thread http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/ph...typhoon-yolanda-impact-malapascua-island.html

---------- Post added November 10th, 2013 at 01:54 PM ----------

Typhoon Haiyan / Yolanda - Malapascua Island Devastation

---------- Post added November 10th, 2013 at 02:12 PM ----------

UN disaster assessment team stunned by Yolanda-wrought devastation in Tacloban

A United Nations Disaster Assessment Coordination Team (UNDAC) arrived this morning in Tacloban City. Even such a hardened team of humanitarian workers were shocked upon witnessing the scenes of total devastation in the city where Typhoon Haiyan (locally known as Yolanda) first struck.

Helicopter is the only means of travel at the moment, as the roads are impassable from the airport to the town. Trees and telephone poles lie unmoved across many roads. Even motorcyclists decline the journey, and so many people walk aimlessly, in search of food for their bellies, warmth to keep close, and a place to lay their dead if only for a little while.


Sebastian Rhodes Stampa, head of the UNDAC team, reported this morning that there is an unprecedented level of destruction.


"The last time I saw something of this scale was in the aftermath of the Indian Ocean Tsunami," according to Stampa. "This is destruction on a massive scale. There are cars thrown like tumble weed and the streets are strewn with debris."


The UNDAC team arrived to prepare the ground work for an inter-agency humanitarian assessment. "There roads between the airport and the town are completely blocked and relief operations will be extremely difficult," he added.


The acting Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in the Philippines Dr. Julie Hall said. "We wish to extend our deepest sympathy to the Government and the people of the Philippines, who have been affected by this devastating typhoon which appears to have caused significant damage across a large tract of the Visayas."


She continued, "We are working very closely with the Government and are ready to respond in any way we can to this tragedy."

---------- Post added November 10th, 2013 at 02:29 PM ----------

Photo: A pregnant woman cooks a meal inside a building overlooking the devastated city of Tacloban #typhoonph#haiyan #yolanda

http://twitter.com/roddymansfield/status/399377476595744768

---------- Post added November 10th, 2013 at 02:42 PM ----------

---------- Post added November 10th, 2013 at 02:54 PM ----------

Disaster in Tacloban, Philippines: Chasers document ?ghastly? scene from typhoon

First off, Tacloban City is devastated. The city is a horrid landscape of smashed buildings and completely defoliated trees, with widespread looting and unclaimed bodies decaying in the open air. The typhoon moved fast and didn’t last long– only a few hours– but it struck the city with absolutely terrifying ferocity. At the height of the storm, as the wind rose to a scream, as windows exploded and as our solid-concrete downtown hotel trembled from the impact of flying debris, as pictures blew off the walls and as children became hysterical, a tremendous storm surge swept the entire downtown. Waterfront blocks were reduced to heaps of rubble. In our hotel, trapped first-floor guests smashed the windows of their rooms to keep from drowning and screamed for help, and we had to drop our cameras and pull them out on mattresses and physically carry the elderly and disabled to the second floor. Mark’s leg was ripped open by a piece of debris and he’ll require surgery. The city has no communication with the outside world. The hospitals are overflowing with the critically injured. The surrounding communities are mowed down. After a bleak night in a hot, pitch-black, trashed hotel, James, Mark, and I managed to get out of the city on a military chopper and get to Cebu via a C-130– sitting next to corpses in body bags. Meteorologically, Super Typhoon HAIYAN was fascinating; from a human-interest standpoint, it was utterly ghastly. It’s been difficult to process.

---------- Post added November 10th, 2013 at 03:12 PM ----------

WARNING: Some graphic images:

 

[Griffo]

I feel ill looking at all these pictures. I spent a wonderfull honeymoon in the Philippines, and cannot imagine what hell it must be there right now with the limited facilites available in the best of times, let alone on a remote island after a disaster like this. I'm also hugely disspointed in our new (tea party) governments response to this disaster, or lack of. I've donated to Red Cross, Unicef and the Malapascua funds. I am sending my best wishes and hope everyone emerges from what must be a living hell as quickly as possible.

 

[aumexican]

Even though I've been to the Philipines many times, I havn't got to Malapascua yet, but I donated to both Thresherdivers and Evolution divers.

Trusting it will go straight to the source with no crocodiles.

Will dive there next year to bring is some more money to local economy.

 

[DevonDiver]

Here is the human face of this tragic catastrophe:

Lieutenant Colonel Fermin Carangan is the Commanding Officer of TOG 8, the Air Force unit tasked to provide air support for the islands of Samar and Leyte. On the morning of Friday, November 8, he and his troops were in their office near the Tacloban Airport on red alert, having been informed of an incoming Super-Storm named Haiyan (local name: Yolanda). Here he narrates his ordeal as Haiyan unleashed her fury on the city of Tacloban on that fateful Friday morning....

A Survivor?s Story | charly's blog

 

[Rick Murchison]

My fervent prayers are with y'all...
donations to Red Cross earmarked for the PI.
Love,
Rick

 

[jbb]

Hi guys
Need some info! Looking for my sister Briony Eales and Gio Bacareza. They were on Malapascua diving when the typhoon hit. Haven't heard anything since Thursday night, so anyone with any info would be great. Please help!

Andrea of Thresher Shark Divers says they are safe and left the island. She says she heard from them yesterday. I hope they have already contacted you.