TYPHOON YOLANDA – MY PERSONAL STORY

This is a question I am asked all the time. Were you here in Tacloban when Typhoon Yolanda unleashed its furry?  The answer is no. Not being here with my wife on that day is one of the most worrying times in my life. We had just been married on 28 September 2013. I was working back Egypt as an expatriate at Sukari Gold Mine. I have written a story on my feelings and relief when I travelled back to the Philippines to look for my wife:

Typhoon Yolanda 08 November 2013

The disaster was approaching the Philippines. In Egypt, we had cable television in our accommodation rooms. Typhoon Yolanda international name Haiyan was heading towards the Philippines. The concern was Tacloban City and surrounding areas were on the predicted path. I had phone contact with my wife and we talked about the needed precautions. The Philippines experiences typhoons regular and is accepted as part of life. There was a difference as this typhoon was increasing in intensities and was going to be one of the biggest storms to make landfall in known recorded history.

I can remember going to bed in Egypt and hoping my wife and her family will be safe. The Typhoon makes landfall in the Tacloban area at approximately 8am on 08 November 2013. In Egypt, it is 2am and I am sound asleep. I go to work that morning and by this time the typhoon is still in progress. I try to call my wife many times over the coming hours but there is no answer. I try to stay calm but have this sick feeling inside.

I turned my computer on and looked up the international news and was horrified. The news was centered on Tacloban city some 30 km from our home but it was very graphic with hundreds of bodies floating in the city streets. The city is close to sea level and the storm surge produced waves 4.5 meters or 15 feet.

Our house is 4km inland from the ocean so it was in my mind that this large storm surge would not affect that area. Winds were reported in excess of 300 km/hour. I knew there would be damage to the house but prayed it would keep my wife and her family safe.

I approached my work Manager and explained the situation. The company was good and travel arrangements were made for me to fly back to the Philippines the next day. I arrive in Manila 3 days after the typhoon has struck. I try every 15 minutes to call my wife and there is no answer. There is a mobilization of rescue to Tacloban but thousands are dead, no communications and news reports of crime and looting. I was thinking all the time about how I can get to Tacloban as the airport was closed to commercial flights.

I was not sure how long I needed to stay in Manila before attempting to travel to Tacloban. There were two options. The first was to hire a vehicle to travel to Leyte via Samar but this was not the best option. The other was to fly to Cebu and catch a ferry to Ormoc and then a 3-hour road trip to our village.

The next day I continued to call every 15 minutes and was starting to worry more, but I had not lost hope. Then around 11am the call was answered and felt this huge relief from inside. My wife had travelled from the village to a city (Bay Bay) that had not been hit as hard by the typhoon and telecommunications were still working. I asked my wife to catch a ferry to Cebu and go to the Alta resort on Matcan Island and wait for me.  We had stayed at this resort many times and when I contacted them to take care of my wife until I arrive, they were very willing to help.

I flew to Cebu the following morning and was reunited with my wife. We talked a little about the typhoon but she was traumatized. I became the listener. All of her family were still back in the village. There was a shortage of food and drinking water but we had a small farm and had rice in storage

The plan was to buy canned food and basic medical supplies in Cebu City and return to the village. We caught a ferry to Ormoc from Cebu and hired a van to make the normal three-hour journey to the village. The trip was longer due to road damage and debris. The destruction during this trip was quite evident. I had asked my wife if there was much damage to the house and her reply “not too bad”. I knew when I built the house we were in a typhoon area and had the structure designed to cope

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A PASSENGERS VIEW LEAVING ORMOC FOR DULAG AFTER YOLANDA

Our house, outhouses and yard protected approximately 100 men, women and children during the typhoon. At this time there were approximately 900 people in this barangay and few injuries and no loss of life. At that time when I looked around the immediate area, I wonder if there may have been casualties if our house was not there. One can only say it reduced the risk.

VIEW OF BARANGAY AS I APPROACHED THE ENTRANCE TO OUR HOUSE

OUR HOUSE AFTER TYPHOON YOLANDA

Charities from all over the world came to help the people in need. As our house was one of the few structures still standing, different Charites and relief workers asked for use of our outbuildings and yard for medical care and relief assistance. People needed help and there was no hesitation in this request.

SAMARITAN PURSE SETTING UP IN OUR FRONT YARD

DISTRIBUTING EMERGENCY RELIEF AT OUR RESIDENCE

Over 3 years have passed since this deadly typhoon struck. The people of Tacloban and other affected areas have been strong and resilient since that horrific day. The rebuilding process is ongoing but considerable progress has been made. This barangay is pretty well rebuilt and life is back to normal.

I was lucky as my wife and family survived but thousands of people lost their lives on that horrific day and should never be forgotten.