(Satellite imagery courtesy NASA)
Philippines (MNN) — It’s typhoon season and the first major storm has rolled through the Philippines. According to reports, Typhoon Rammasun, known locally as Glenda, has killed at least 10 people and caused hundreds of thousands to be evacuated.
Rammasun is technically the seventh typhoon to pass through the Pacific archipelago in 2014, but it is reportedly the strongest thus far. The storm carried winds upward of 93 mph and gusts nearing 115 mph. Though the storm sideswiped Manila, widespread power outages were observed, and over 370,000 people were evacuated from high-risk areas.
“It was like a drill,” Manila Mayor Joseph Estrada told the Associated Press. “We hauled people away from dangerous seaside areas, whether they liked it or not.”
Remember the rebuilt widows’ homes and kids’ trauma counseling we told you about earlier this week? Those Christian Aid Mission and Operation Mobilization missionaries will be busy responding in Christ’s name, not only to the aftermath of this storm, but to dozens more that are sure to come.
The Philippines see an average of 20 typhoons and tropical storms each year, making it one of the world’s most disaster-prone nations.
Last year’s historic Typhoon Haiyan killed more than 6,000 people and left millions without a home. About 90% of Tacloban’s structures were flattened, and the super-storm created around $2.8 billion of overall damage.
Will you keep ministry workers and the Filipino people in your prayers? Pray for strength as believers share God’s love and hope. Ask the Lord to protect Haiyan survivors from more suffering. Pray that the never-changing Truth of Christ is made evident through physical disasters.
