Leyte Caught in the Eye

Image by Keith Edkins | Wikipedia | Public Domain

When Typhoon Yolanda (Filipino local name for Haiyan) started ramping up in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, the Island of Leyte (lay-tee) began preparing for the storm. Little did anyone know how terrifying this event would be.
Some reports have suggested that early preparation saved thousands of lives - even though more than 6,000 are confirmed dead now. Others say that the Filipino people should have taken more precautions for this storm. However, in an island nation, it is hard to say where all those people would have evacuated to - another island?
One unexpected event that happened as part of Yolanda was a massive storm surge. Whereas tsunami warnings would have indicated that people leave the coastal areas, a typhoon is known for extreme wind and is not as likely to force water so far inland. However, Yolanda whipped water six meters (20 feet) over Tacloban City which took the brunt of the storm damages. It is hard to imagine how anyone can be perfectly prepared for unruly and unpredictable storms like this.
The Leyte is All Hands' point of service to the Philippines. Yolanda ferociously hit land there first and left horrific damage in her path. Cleaning up and reestablishing infrastructure and livelihood will be a great deal more challenging that I can imagine. I will be working full days in the hot sticky equatorial weather. The mosquitoes have been reportedly awful and the accommodation is a basic bunking shelter with bucket baths. But, piece by piece, the Island will be picked up and put back together again. My resolve to lend my hands to patch up this little piece of land is getting stronger!