Super Typhoon Haiyan nears Philippines

[al bupp]

Source: Al Jazeera America

Philippine officials said Thursday that thousands of villagers, including those from a central province devastated recently by an earthquake, are being evacuated as one of Asia's most powerful typhoons this year approaches.

Typhoon Haiyan was already packing sustained winds of 134 miles per hour and ferocious gusts of 155 mph, and could pick up strength over the Pacific Ocean before it slams into the Philippine province of Eastern Samar on Friday, according to government forecasters.

Eduardo del Rosario, who heads the government's main disaster-response agency, said governors and mayors were supervising the evacuation of thousands of residents away from landslide- and flood-prone communities in several provinces where the typhoon is expected to pass.

President Benigno Aquino III has ordered officials to aim for zero casualties, a goal often broken in an archipelago lashed by about 20 storms each year, most of them deadly and destructive. Haiyan is the 24th such storm to hit the Philippines this year.


Read more: http://america.aljazeera.com/articles/2013/11/7/super-typhoon-haiyanapproachesthephilippines.html

[littlewolf]

1. this is not going to be good

I love the PI my dad and step mom are buried there.
have some friends there.
do not have a good feeling about this.

[pinto]

2. Kick.

Enormous storm. Hope everyone can get to higher ground, shelter.

[Bosonic]

3. Philippines braces for Typhoon Haiyan

Authorities in the Philippines are bracing for the arrival of Typhoon Haiyan, which is expected to strike central parts of the country on Friday.

The category five storm is moving towards the South East Asian nation with winds of up to 278 km/h (173mph).

Haiyan - known as Yolanda in the Philippines - is the strongest storm to hit the Pacific this year.

Schools and offices have already been closed in the region and thousands of people are being evacuated.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-24846813

[locks]

4. super typhoon

Yolanda is rated as the most powerful typhoon this year, categorized as 5, probably more destructive than the 1990 typhoon to the Philippines and islands all around it. The Philippines have already suffered through a hurricane this year which killed many and destroyed thousands of homes. Why is this not breaking news, pinto?

[muriel_volestrangler]

8. It becomes news as it hits

Top story now on USA Today: http://www.usatoday.com/
International CNN: http://edition.cnn.com/ (and 2nd on US edition)

So some sites are covering it. Not on the BBC front page, which is surprising - they normally cover international storms.

[uppityperson]

5. Didn't they recently have a typhoon or tropical storm hit? Thanks for the notice.

[muriel_volestrangler]

7. Typhoon Usagi, just over a month ago

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/sep/23/landslides-kill-20-philippines-typhoon-usagi

[Coyotl]

6. 'significant loss of life' predicted

http://worldnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/11/07/21344788-super-typhoon-haiyan-aims-at-philippines-significant-loss-of-life-predicted

[Scairp]

9. This is going to be extremely bad

I do hope they have been getting prepped for this, getting people to higher ground, gathering food and fresh water, because I have a feeling that there won't be any of that for some time in the Philippines. I can't even think of words to describe how very awful it will be in the aftermath.

[locks]

10. the 24th storm to hit the Philippines this year.

In Colorado we are making some good headway after a terrible destructive flood. Still lots of hard work to do and many people still suffering, but believe me, we are truly thankful and very aware that we live in a wealthy country, most of our homes and infrastructure will be rebuilt, almost everyone was rescued, and help has poured in from around the state and nation.
How can we know what it is like for people dying in or living through disasters in underdeveloped and poverty-stricken places, most of the people on our planet? Perhaps we can't but we might find out if we used our wealth and power to send aid instead of arms what real empathy feels like.