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The super typhoon that hit the central islands of the Philippines is one of the most powerful storms ever recorded and it’s going to put millions of people in harms way. The storm forced millions of people to leave their homes and four people were tragically killed. Two were electrocuted, another was crushed by a fallen tree and one person was struck by lightning. The storm also left airports with no choice but to cancel flights, leaving people stranded. With winds of over two hundred miles per hour, people were given an early evacuation notice and many fled their homes to check into hotels. The center of the storm is making its way out of the Philippines, but it is moving towards China and Vietnam. It will continue to move across the South China Sea and hit Vietnam by Sunday.
As a mainly Catholic country, many prayers are being spoken and heard in the Philippines. One such prayer is the Oratio Imperata, also known as the Obligatory Prayer which is used specifically for sudden, catastrophic circumstances. A hotel employee, Hildren Mallete, stated, “The priests have been saying prayers from yesterday to today, and that helped our city. The power of prayer, it helped a lot.”
Many areas are still cut off from communication and help, which may lead to a rise in the death toll. Popular travelling locations, Cebu City and Bohol island, are in the indiscriminate path of the typhoon, putting over twelve million people at risk. The storm is expected to leave the Philippines by Saturday morning. Many people who left their homes for a safer place to wait out the storm do not know if they have a home to return to. President Benigo Aquino was efficient in preparation and evacuation for the storm’s arrival by Thursday and many lives have been saved as a result of the early warning. One woman who checked her family into a hotel on Thursday commented, “The government was well-prepared for this typhoon and informed the people.”
Image Credit: USA Today
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