How a Typhoon Can Hurt Even From a World Away

When natural disasters like Typhoon Haiyan strike it can be hard for many Americans to truly understand the impact. 

While my son watched the Weather Channel all weekend in awe over the storm's record-breaking violence, little did we know his fourth-grade teacher, Carlota Lim, was up all night worried sick for her friends and family.

A touching email she sent our class parents Tuesday was a stark reminder that though the disaster is far away its ripple effects are just starting to roll across the world. She agreed to share it with Patch in hopes that it will help raise awareness about the fundraising to help the victims.

Thank you for your emails of concern and prayers. I am crafting this email at past 2AM in the hope of sending this to you in the morning. For those who have not heard, a typhoon/hurricane 3.5 times stronger than Katrina and Sandy hit my hometown in the Philippines.

Of all the places in the world, the storm landed right on Tacloban City where I was born and raised until age 15. This is also the city where Dr. Gerald Nazareno, a former Walnut Grove parent, had his early medical school studies.

My parents' home was wiped out. We have not heard from the renters and some of our former neighbors are still missing. All weekend, I scoured online sources for names of survivors, hoping to see grade school and high school classmates' names. Many have survived, some have not.

Power won't be restored until 2-6 more months, and people are starving.  (Many) have perished, many injured, and the remaining standing hospital has only 250 beds. By Day 2,  hungry people were looting damaged stores and private homes for food and medicine. The national government has been very slow in responding.

...Many countries have pledged aid. As of last night, the UK and the US have sent aircraft carriers with relief goods and personnel to help. Airlines have been sending planes for free to facilitate an exodus of survivors to other cities untouched. We are all hopeful that Tacloban City will rise again. 

I'd like to end on a hopeful note. When you have time at home, read about an amazing story of a soldier and a 7-year old boy swept to sea but survived. Please use discretion in sharing some photos that may come with this article if your children are also reading with you.

In the greater scheme of things, let us be thankful for what we have now.  

Note: Lim said her immediate family members are safe as they have since moved to Manila and Los Angeles. Parents of students in Lim's class at Walnut Grove Elementary School in Pleasanton are already responding by making donations in her name.

To help, visit the Red Cross or Unicef.