IV Online magazine - Archive

While I write this article, in the Phillipines the death toll reaches about 4,000 people and continues to grow, 12 days after Supertyphoon Haiyan (also called “Yolanda”) hit that country with the power of 310 km/h (195 mph) sustained winds and gusts that reached 375 km/h (235 mph). It fitted into the “Category 5”, the class for the most powerful storms using the scale that is currently used to classify hurricanes. However, with winds that strong, if one more category was added [what category? It just souds like you’re saying if add one on to 5 we get 6], Haiyan would certainly be classified as a “Category 6”. Haiyan is recognized as one of the most powerful storms of all times to strike against human settlements. Along with the extremely strong winds, the storm surge immediately began to cause a huge amount of damage and loss of life. Many hundreds of thousands have become refugees; many are now orphans and widows/widowers.