Philippines Devastated After Typhoon Haiyan

Typhoon Haiyan made landfall in the Philippines on Friday as one of the strongest storms on record.  Sustained winds of 145 mph with gusts up to 235 mph, as well as waves topping 40 feet in height, destroyed many of the country’s costal towns. Tacloban, one of the hardest hit areas, has nearly no structures left standing, including its airport. Many other villages in the Philippines are facing similar devastation, and it is reported 70% to 80% of the structures in Haiyan’s path were destroyed.

The vast destruction of the country’s infrastructure is making it difficult to send aid and help the survivors.  It is feared that there may be over 10,000 dead from the storm and 9.7 million people affected. Survivors are seeking shelter in the few remaining buildings left standing. Consulting firm Moody’s Analytics currently estimates that Haiyan left behind up to $14 billion (US dollars) in damage. The first link below contains a comprehensive image gallery of the destruction.

Sources: Daily Mail Online, USA Today, NBC News.com