TACLOBAN City in the province of Leyte is a postcard-pretty coastal community etched in history as the place where American Gen. Douglas MacArthur uttered the historic words, “I shall return.”

Today, that same city has been smashed to the ground with roofs, walls and ceilings ripped apart while bodies pinned by fallen trees remain uncollected, amid survivors who walk around in a daze.

Typhoon Yolanda, known internationally as “Haiyan,” was assaulted with sustained winds of 235 kph (147 mph) with gusts of 275 kph (170 mph) when it made landfall. It entered the Philippine area on a Thursday, making six landfalls before finally leaving last Saturday afternoon. Was it the most powerful typhoon ever to hit the Philippines, if not the whole of planet earth? The country’s climate experts differ in granting her that epitaph.

Philippine President Benigno S. Aquino III sought the understanding of all Filipinos in his recent statement: “As Yolanda battered the country, electricity and communications were lost in many areas. This affected not only the communications of those who want to ensure that their families are safe, but also the coordination of our relief efforts. For us to give the aid that is required we need to know what is needed in each area; and we had difficulty obtaining this data.

There were also a number of local governments that, because of the extent of the destruction, were paralyzed, because among those who fell victim to the storm were their own personnel and officials. Just think: We returned to a situation where information had to be spread through word-of-mouth — no TVs, cell phones, or Internet; stores and establishments were closed; it was difficult to organize relief efforts. This was the root cause of the chaos that erupted in some areas.” Political leader Bem Noel who founded An Waray partylist, a regional party based in Leyte, described Tacloban City after the storm as “40 years of memories washed away” because not even its landmarks were spared.

Struggling to paint a strong visual of what has become of Tacloban City, radio reporter Edwin Sevidal of ABS-CBN’s DZMM station decided to offer radio host Henry Omaga Diaz this question instead, “Do you know that TV series, the “Walking Dead?” Sevidal was referring to a popular American television series about zombies and a motley group of survivors trying to keep them at bay. Still, the Filipinos are known to be resilient. Like bright sunshine that follows a raving storm, people and groups here and abroad have launched their own relief drives. There will be fewer yuletide parties this year, but no matter — the spirit of love, compassion, and generosity has swept the nation, as daily stories of grief and despair assault the heart.

More than 20 countries have also pledged to help, offering mobile hospitals, money, trauma equipment, and tents. In Saudi Arabia, a group of Filipinos in Jeddah have started its own fund drive dubbed as “Oplan Yolanda.” Task Force Yolanda, put up by Filipino netizens in Saudi Arabia, receives requests from Filipinos overseas for help in tracking down relatives in typhoon-hit provinces.

The energy department said it would take six months to have power fully restored to the worst hit provinces. More rice would have to be imported to make up for crops destroyed. Some fear that the death toll may reach as many as 10,000 people. Some victims shiver with hunger in homes without roofs.

Was enough done to prevent the loss of lives given the projected size and power of the storm? Constant warnings were given out, and evacuation plans were in place. But how do you handle a super typhoon like Yolanda? Given a choice, Godzilla on steroids would have made an easier nemesis.

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