Super typhoon Hagupit (locally Ruby) is now in the Philippines area of responsibility and is due to make landfall in the north of Eastern Samar on Saturday evening local time.  Typhoon Hagupit currently has a diameter of over 370 Miles and winds speeds equivalent to that of Super Typhoon Haiyan.

Dennis Chiong from the Cebu Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council commented today that unlike typhoon Haiyan, Hagupit is moving very slowly which has the potential to increase the overall impact of the storm as it moves across land. This slow rate of advance means that each community in the path of the typhoon will be subjected to a much longer period of high winds and torrential rainfall. Haiyan moved at approximately 40 mph whereas Hagupit is currently moving at a speed of around 9 mph.

The thing that is going to save the most lives this typhoon is the last typhoon.

Typhoon Haiyan is still fresh in peoples minds and municipalities and provinces have been thinking about and planning for disaster preparation and response all year. The resilience of communities across the regions is higher than it has ever been.

Dr. Absin, the Leyte Provincial Health Officer and head of Leyte Provincial Hospital, reported to Direct Relief staff that they have finished disaster preparing the hospital and have their Direct Relief typhoon module in a secure location ready to be used if there is a humanitarian emergency.

Direct Relief staff on the ground will continued to coordinate and maintain contact with partner facilities and organisations across the affected regions as the typhoon makes landfall in the next 24 hours.

Estimated potentially affected population: ​19 million within category 1 zone.