A climatic disorder like a typhoon in a county like the Philippines leads to humanitarian issues. The lives of the people are in disarray and the infrastructure has taken a severe beating. This would include loss or damages to infrastructure in the form of roads, bridges, supply of electricity etcetera. These have to be rebuilt and that is a long drawn affair involving finances. Renewable Energy could play an important role in such situations. Typhoon Goni is labeled as the strongest storm in the world this year. It had wind speeds varying from 133 mph to 164 mph and was accompanied by heavy rainfall, flooding and landslides.
It passed over the south of the country's main island Luzon and left behind a trail of destruction. The floods and landslides led to disruption of traffic with roads blocked by the debris. This affected Travel and the movement of rescue teams. Volcanic rocks and lava flows buried many houses in the Bicol region. In October 2019, Typhoon Hagibis struck Japan and affected some Rugby World Cup matches.
CNN says reports indicate death of at least 17 people while more than two million felt the impact of Typhoon Goni. A representative of the Disaster Management Council confirms the death toll and adds the cost of damages are to be worked out. The authorities evacuated nearly a million residents in the main island of Luzon.
They would need humanitarian aid like basic amenities of food, shelter, and medicines.
Aerial support to tackle Typhoon Goni
Even before the typhoon struck the Philippines, there were fears that it might affect the capital Manila. The authorities evacuated hundreds of families as a precautionary measure. The typhoon that made landfall as a category 5 Atlantic hurricane, has weakened after crossing the Philippines and was downgraded to a tropical storm.
CNN adds about deployment of an aircraft to Catanduanes Island where the typhoon toppled cell towers. There are plans to undertake relief flights to move necessary supplies to Catanduanes and Legazpi City. In 2013, Haiyan killed more than 6300 people in the Philippines. In September 2018, Typhoon Mangkhut forced closure of airport in Hong Kong and casinos in Macau.
Many buildings damaged by Typhoon Goni
According to The BBC, Philippines Chairman Dick Gordon said a preliminary assessment of damages reveal the devastation of Virac. It is home to around 70,000 people and the typhoon has wreaked havoc on it. The Red Cross anticipates damages to nearly 90 percent of the buildings in the first town it struck. The climatic disorder displaced hundreds of thousands of people but spared the capital Manila. However, communication lines have broken down making it difficult to get the lowdown of the region.
Trees uprooted by the typhoon
An official of the Red Cross said the current damage to the town was "like 70% of [Typhoon] Haiyan's damage." The Philippine Red Cross also mentioned about non-availability of electricity, water and cellular network.
These are vital in the society of today and people are trying to obtain feedback through the social media. The BBC indicates the airport and seaports are relatively safe but trees are uprooted in many places. The Philippines experiences an average of 20 storms and typhoons a year. It lost 22 people when Typhoon Molave struck the same region last week. In view of the contagious nature of the disease, there are complications related to COVID-19. It is a matter of concern for the authorities and they have evacuated patients who were undergoing treatment in isolation tents. In order to meet the emergency, schools, gyms and government-run evacuation centers have been converted into emergency shelters. This is a temporary measure.