On November 7, 2013, a devastating typhoon hit the Philippines. The typhoon was the strongest tropical storm that has ever been recorded in history, with wind speeds over 195 mph! With wind speeds at that intensity level, it was estimated at first, that over 10,000 people in Tacloban City have died alone. Although reports show that over 5,000 people have died so far, the death toll is still increasing. As the toll is shown in reports, the typhoon is not even in the top 35 deadliest hurricanes list, because not many people died, as of previous hurricanes. After the major destruction that this intense storm had caused, the Philippines now has to face major cleanup and recovery. The image above shows flipped over vehicles, demolished homes and buildings, and trees that have fallen. The damage was so bad, that U.S troops have been sent over to help out. It shows that the storm was a terrible thing that people had to face, but hey, the people have to face it.

In my opinion, I think that this was a crazily tragic event, but most people were prepared. With the fact that the typhoon didn’t even make it into the top 35 list of deadliest storms, it shows that many people were prepared for the strongest hurricane in the world. Even though many people were prepared, I think it is really sad to hear that over 5,000 people died. What I am really concerned about is the recovery. This should take a long time because of the amount of devastation the typhoon left behind, even with hundreds of U.S troops helping out. People should really try to help out the Philippines, such as making donations, sending more people to help out, and even making wishes and hoping for the best. The Philippines will hopefully recover soon!

~Sameer