Driving through the town of Guiuan, Eastern Samar, street lights lit up the shop fronts and the soft beat of a radio wafted through the air. Smiling people strolled through the evening hustle and bustle seemingly without a care in the world. The scene was a far cry from what I was expecting.
Nov. 8 marked a year since Typhoon Haiyan — one of the strongest storms ever recorded — hit the Philippines. Some 14 million people were affected, including 4 million forced to flee their homes. A total of 6,200 people lost their lives.
The last time I was in Guiuan was in the immediate aftermath when I was traveling with our emergency response team. There was no electricity, except for a handful of generators. Rubble and debris was strewn through the streets and a damp, festering smell lingered in the air.