Typhoon May Be Deadliest Disaster Ever in Philippines

Haiyan has arrived in Vietnam a much quieter storm; it's been reduced to a Category 1, the BBC reports, with sustained winds reaching 85mph. But in the Philippines, the devastation continues after what the New York Times calls one of history's "most powerful" typhoons; it is the most powerful recorded this year. Though thousands of troops have been deployed, rescuers can't reach some areas amid the destruction.

With many people lacking food, water, and electricity, cargo planes are delivering supplies. And looting continues: "People are becoming violent," a high school teacher tells AFP. "I am afraid that in one week, people will be killing from hunger." If estimates of 10,000 people killed are correct, Haiyan is the deadliest natural disaster the Philippines has ever seen, AFP notes, while pointing out the country is no stranger to such disasters: It sits within both a typhoon belt and the Pacific "Ring of Fire," an arc of earthquake and volcanic zones. (More typhoon stories.)