10 years after 'Yolanda', Tacloban rises from ruins

[Lee]

Quote

 

WIDOW Agatha Ando has learned to laugh again in the decade after Super Typhoon "Yolanda" ("Haiyan") smashed into the central Philippines, killing more than 6,000 people and leaving millions homeless.
Ando's husband and three of her siblings refused to leave their homes in Tacloban City, which were less than 100 meters (109 yards) from the sea, and died along with four children when water and debris crashed over them.

"I am now able to laugh again, but I will never forget them," said Ando, 57, who survived because she heeded official warnings to go inland before the storm hit.

 

https://www.msn.com/en-ph/news/national/10-years-after-yolanda-tacloban-rises-from-ruins/ar-AA1jtD2o
 

I've heard a lot of stories like this one over the 10 years since Yolanda. The one that bothers me the most is of my wifes cousin who was living downtown when the storm hit. She lived in a sturdy 2 story house that was surrounded on two sides by much taller buildings. She was fine until the surge hit when the waters chased her and her family to the second floor. The water kept rising and they soon they found themselves at the highest point of the housing in shoulder high water. Her sons were able to chop their way through the metal roof with a machete. Afterward everyone learned to never mention Yolando around her as it would trigger her retelling the story resulting in her hands to shake and her bottom lip to quiver.

 

Then, now This combination of two photographs created on Oct. 24, 2023, shows people walking past rubble and debris near the intersection of Burgos and Real streets in Tacloban City, Leyte province, on Nov. 10, 2013 (top) after Super Typhoon 'Yolanda' made landfall and a view of the intersection 10 years later on Oct. 12, 2023 (bottom).

 

The Bad

Bodies laid around town for days perhaps weeks and when collected were often stacked on street corners like cordwood. Looters started up almost immediately with roving bands of young men ransacking neighborhoods and malls, robbing ATMS, and stealing fuel from the few gas stations that existed at the time. Diesel for powering generators went to 300 Php per liter. Rotten food was buried but was quickly found by the poor, dug up, and consumed. (Looting seems to be normal after any disaster.)

The Good

Globe and Smart provided charging stations (electricity would be out for months) and cellular service (gratis) downtown for people to contact their loved ones.

In perhaps the second biggest event since WW2 that ever happened in Tacloban was the live televising of the Pacquiao fight in Macau. It was shown on large screens in several venues and city parks around town.

 

 

 In perhaps the biggest event that ever happened in T town, the  pope came for a visit in Jan of 2015. He gave an outdoor sermon at the airport and later visited a local church. His visit was cut a bit short though by ironically enough an approaching typhoon.

 

 

In a lasting memorial to the storm and its victims, part of a ship that was blown ashore (there were several) was cut up and a park built around it.

 

 

[hk blues]

By coincidence we were actually in the Philippines during Yolanda on a trip to Cebu from Hong Kong.  I guess we were both lucky and unlucky to be here at that time but suffer no negative effects. 

[Jollygoodfellow]

My partner is a Yolanda survivor. She described her case as the waters kept rising and then coming into the house. She was at home with her sister/sisters? and a baby. Their mother was in Samar in their other house as she works there as a teacher. Anyway, as the water went high they went upstairs, and for whatever reason my partner was in one room and her sister and baby in another. The water rose more and the doors would not open so they were stuck in separate rooms. My partner decided to smash through the wall as she thought if they were going to die they would all die together.

They managed to get together and were sitting on the bed. Luckily the water stopped rising and the baby slept right through.

They survived. Their mother sent a brother to search for them and told him to check every dead body on the way.

After that, she described seeing bodies everywhere while searching for food. A neighbor who must be a bit higher ground up took them in so they stayed there.

Anyway, I asked her why she and the other people were not prepared. she said no one took any notice, just another typhoon. I said you did not see news reports of the biggest typhoon in the world was coming their way? No, nothing was mentioned here but I think it's a case no one watched the news or just thought it would turn away.

It Must have been difficult times.