There are five different categories for a Typhoon: Category 1 being the weakest and Category 5 being the strongest, in terms of wind speed. A Category 5 typhoon hit the Philippines on Saturday November 16, 2013. This Typhoon is known as Typhoon Yolanda locally, and Typhoon Haiyan nationally. The death toll as of Wednesday, November 13, 2013 was 2,357 people.

Tacloban, a city with a population of over 200,000, had all buildings destroyed by the typhoon.  There are many ways to help the Typhoon Haiyan survivors, such as donating to the Philippines’ Red Cross. There are many organizations helping the survivors. To list a few, the Salvation Army is helping survivors by giving food and shelter. The World Food Programme is sending food over and the United Nations Refugee Center is providing safe cluster zones, supplying tents, clothes, solar-powered lamps, and other necessities. The International Medical Corps has sent over medical professionals as well as water. These are just a few of the many organizations sending supplies and necessary materials to the storm survivors. If you’d like to donate to any of these organizations, links are posted below.

Philippines Red Cross – http://ushare.redcross.org.ph/

The Salvation Army – https://donate.salvationarmyusa.org/TyphoonHaiyan

World Food Programme – https://www.wfp.org/donate/typhoon

United Nations Refugee Center – http://donate.unhcr.org/philippines

International Medical Corps – https://internationalmedicalcorps.org/how-you-can-help/philippines

For a larger list of organizations supporting the typhoon survivors, please visit http://www.cnn.com/2013/11/09/world/iyw-how-to-help-typhoon-haiyan/index.html

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