Typhoon Sendong: How To Help

I was in Malaysia when I first heard about the typhoon that swept over some areas in Mindanao. I did not understand it's intensity until after I saw some pictures and read news about how many people were affected and lost their lives. I could not begin to reconcile upon myself how unfortunate those affected people are. It's unnerving to know that my family could have been easily affected by the typhoon too as they are in Mindanao and a mere 8 hours away from the center of the devastation.

I am glad that they were spared but I am equally sad for those who had to suffer the loss of life, livelihood and property among others. Amidst all these turmoil, I still don't know what is the purpose of this catastrophe. My heart bleeds...

Here's the recent update from the Red Cross of The Philippines website as of 12/20:

Tropical Storm Sendong (international name: Washi) ravaged Mindanao, slamming it with devastating rains and unleashing flash floods and landslides that have left a horrifying trail of destruction. As of 12PM, the death toll has reached 720 (Cagayan De Oro 346, Iligan City 279, Bukidnon 47, Negros Oriental 37, Lanao del Norte 9, Compostela Valley 5, Zamboanga del Norte 3, Surigao del Sur 1). Most of the dead were asleep in the middle of the night on Friday when raging floodwaters pounded their homes from rivers and cascaded

from mountain slopes following 12 straight hours of heavy rains in Mindanao. Drowning has been identified as the main cause of death. Sendong affected 21 municipalities, 78 barangays and 13,924 families (63,779 persons), with 245 injured and 807 reported missing. 3,422 houses were totally or partially damaged and there are still 38,332 persons housed in evacuation centers to date.

There are currently 7,431 persons in 4 evacuation centers in Iligan City, which was consumed by flashfloods last night after the heavy downpour of rains. Cagayan De Oro, which has now been placed undera state of calamity, experienced 180 mm of rainfall in less than 24 hours, which has led to massivefloods in 23 of its 80 barangays, leaving about 20,000 residents in evacuation centers. Prior to theonslaught of Sendong in Zamboanga del Norte, about 143 persons had already evacuated their houseswhich were destructed by flash floods that swept the municipality of Polanco as well as Dipolog andDapitan cities. Dapitan River had overflown early yesterday morning which flooded several barangaysin Dapitan.

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