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Super Typhoon Haiyan, one of the most powerful storms in world history, crashed into the island of Samar Friday morning and sped across the central islands of the Philippines. Haiyan's strong winds, rains and storm surge are expected to cause widespread devastation throughout the central Philippines.
We know millions are at risk. Many areas lost power. Hundreds of flights were canceled. But many factors remain unclear.
1.) Death toll: Four people were killed, according to the Associated Press. At least two people were electrocuted in storm-related accidents, one person was killed by a fallen tree, and another was struck by lightning, official reports said. But the death toll could rise as some of the hardest-hit areas remain cut off without power and communication. "During the actual impact of the typhoon, we have yet to record any fatalities," Reynaldo Balido Jr., a spokesman for the Philippines Office of Civil Defense, told USA TODAY.
At least 748,000 people were evacuated, and many are staying in about 664 evacuation centers, Balido said.
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2.) Full extent of the damage: "We are not sure of the damage of the typhoon," Balido said. "It has been devastating in terms of electricity, communication lines, houses and buildings, especially in the area where it first hit the land."
With at least 20 typhoons hitting the Philippines every year, its people are familiar with nature's power, but none have experienced what some meteorologists have called the most powerful typhoon ever to make landfall.
Not all the typhoons typically experienced by the Philippines hit land. Last December, Typhoon Bopha caused more than 1,000 causalities because of flash floods and storms.
3.) What's next: The center of the storm was moving away from the Philippines and into the South China Sea, but high winds were still battering the country.
The latest forecast shows the storm churning across the South China Sea for the next couple of days before making landfall Sunday near Hue, Vietnam.
"As it passes by the West Philippine Sea, the typhoon will get strong again. And by the time it reaches Vietnam, it may not be as strong as the Philippines, but it will inflict damage," Balido said.
In the Philippines, medical and search-and-rescue teams are expected in hard-hit areas over the next seven days, he added.
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