Md. aid heads to Philippines to help with typhoon recovery

Typhoon Haiyan one of biggest storms world's ever seen
BALTIMORE —As search and rescue teams reach devastated areas in the typhoon-ravaged Philippines, help from Baltimore is finally making its way to the region.

With nothing but destruction in sight, crews are going through the painstaking process of going block by block, looking for victims of Super Typhoon Haiyan. The piles of wood and debris seen everywhere are reminders of what used to be and the storm's strength.

"This is probably the worst storm the county has ever faced," said Tim McCully, the vice president of the Lutheran World Relief, a group that's helping lead the recovery effort in Maryland.

The Baltimore-based organization is already on the ground in the Philippines helping victims.

"We're particularly concerned about families and villages in coastal areas, where entire fishing families and other communities have been wiped out," McCully said.

He likened the destruction to the devastation Thailand saw in the great 2004 tsunami. He said relief teams are focused on providing immediate help to victims.

"You've got to look at this in terms of life-saving assistance -- water, food and shelter. There have been more than a half-million people who have been affected," McCully said.

Aside from relief groups, the U.S. military also arrived in devastated areas Sunday to help with search and rescue operations.

"It really will take a global effort," said Joan Rosenhauer, the vice president of Catholic Relief Services, another group that's helping storm victims.

She said the typhoon only added insult to injury on a region that dealt with a devastating 7.2-magnitude earthquake just a few weeks ago.

"Some of the areas are very rural areas, where people didn't have strong structures for their homes, so they're already living in a way that's a struggle just to get by every day," Rosenhauer said.

"This is a major operation we're gearing up for," McCully said.

Lutheran World Relief plans on sending another team of workers to the Philippines from Baltimore in the weeks ahead. The American Red Cross has also jumped into action, sending teams to the country.

Those who want to help with the recovery effort can donate to a respected relief organization, experts said.