MEDIA RELEASE

Track of Typhoon Sendong

In December 2011, Typhoon Sendong (Tropical Storm Washi) ravaged Mindanao in the Philippines. The typhoon and flooding left over a thousand residents dead and many more homeless. Recovery efforts are still under way, and our community can help.

Now through March 3rd, bring your donations of new or slightly used children’s clothing, footwear, toiletries, and school supplies to one of our collection sites. The County of Hawai‘i will send it off to the Philippines to help the children displaced by Typhoon Sendong.

Satellite image of Typhoon Sendong over the Philippines

In Hilo, drop off your donations during business hours at Kama`āina Nissan in Keaukaha or Kama`āina Motors on Kāwili Street. In Kona, you can bring them to the Information Desk at the West Hawai`i Civic Center.

For more information, call the Mayor’s Office at 961-8211. Together, we can help our family and friends in the Philippines. Mahalo for your generosity.

By NASA

Tropical Storm Washi devastated the Philippines on December 16 and 17, 2011. The storm was not powerful in the traditional sense—it’s winds never surpassed 55 knots (100 kilometers per hour or 63 miles per hour) and it lacked the organization of an intense typhoon or hurricane. Nonetheless, Washi unleashed extremely heavy rain on northwest Mindanao,. and the resulting floods left hundreds dead or missing.

This image shows rainfall between December 15 and midday on December 19. Dark blue spots indicate areas of extreme rain, and the largest area is in northwest Mindanao. The image was made with data from the Multisatellite Precipitation Analysis, which combines measurements from many satellites and calibrates them with rainfall data from the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) satellite.

Most of the rain fell on Friday, December 16. The rain rushed down mountain slopes and converged on coastal communities overnight, while people were sleeping. The ensuing flash floods left 957 dead and 1,582 injured as of December 20, reported the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council. Most of the fatalities came in Cagayan De Oro and Iligan City. Nearly 340,000 people have been affected by the disaster.