Rescuers estimate that up to 1,200 people were killed after Super Typhoon Haiyan, one of the most powerful storms ever recorded, rummaged through the central islands of the Philippines, said the Philippine Red Cross on Saturday.
The massive Category 5 storm crashed across the central islands of the Philippines Friday morning, forcing a million people to flee from their homes, widespread power outages and hundreds of flight cancellations. With sustained winds of 195 mph and gusts as strong as 235 mph, it is possible that Haiyan may be the strongest tropical cyclone to ever hit land in recorded history, CNN reports.
In the aftermath, bodies were found inside buildings and on a street that was littered with fallen trees, roofing material and other building parts torn off during the storm. With widespread power outages, roads blocked, bridges down and debris strewn everywhere, there's no question that getting life back to normal in the region will take time.
"We expect the level of destruction caused by Typhoon Haiyan to be extensive and devastating, and sadly we fear that many lives will be lost," said Anna Lindenfors, Philippines director of Save the Children, according to USA Today.
As of early Saturday morning (U.S. time) Typhoon Haiyan had weakened to a Category 3 hurricane with winds of 120 mph, gusting to 150 mph. The typhoon was forecast to make landfall in Vietnam at around 10 a.m. Sunday between Danang and Quang Ngai and then move northwest, reports CBS News.
As a result, Vietnamese authorities began evacuating more than 500,000 people from high risk areas in four central provinces to government buildings, schools and other concrete homes that could withstand strong winds.
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