Locals affected by typhoon Haiyan

Many people in the Coachella Valley have been affected by the devastating typhoon that has killed thousands in the Philippines. People we spoke with are desperate to hear from family members who live in the region.

“You look through the news and see the pictures, it’s just devastating,” said Rommillio Labuen.

Entire communities in the Philippines are decimated. Super typhoon Haiyan’s winds, flooding and storm surges of nearly 20 feet, has left nearly half a million people homeless and a countless number dead.

“Over there they already have nothing and now they really don’t have anything any more. It is really hard to see that,” said Labuen.

Labuen’s relatives live just 20 miles from one of the hardest hit areas.

“I heard the area where they are at is just gone, all of the houses are gone. A lot of them are shanties so their places are gone,” said Labuen.

Most lines of communication are also gone, making it nearly impossible to reach family members.

“My mom she is really shocked. We can’t get a hold of anybody so it’s like we don’t know what to do,” said Labuen.

Employees at House of Silog, a Filipino restaurant in Cathedral City, also have family in the Philippines affected by the typhoon. That is why they are donating their salary to help in the relief efforts.

“Because we are Filipino and we are helping to reach all of the Filipinos there and because we are sad with what is happening there,” said Lea Enriquez, who has family members who survived the storm.

“As Filipino we are one culture, one community,” said Ammanuel Miralles, who has family members who survived the storm.

Fe Miralles was relieved to learn her husband’s family survived.

“Right now they are OK, because we already already sent them money. Their house was broken, a lot of thing,s they don’t have a house to live,” said Fe Miralles.

“We are all very very sad,” said Enriquez.

“It broke my heart, my Filipino heart. We have only one heart as a Filipino culture, a Filipino heart,” said Ammanuel Miralles.

Now, those storm-ravaged communities are bracing once again for rough weather. A tropical depression is expected to bring more heavy rain to the south and central Philippines Tuesday.

The survivors of the deadly typhoon in the Philippines need our help.

CBS Local 2, KESQ, KUNA FM, KUNA TV and The Desert Radio Group will hold a fund raising drive Tuesday from 5am to 7pm at Palm Springs Motors on Highway 111.

All the money you donate will go to the directly to Red Cross for food, water and medical supplies that victims of the typhoon need so desperately right now.

We’ll bring you live reports all day Tuesday on our television and radio stations and on 93.7 KCLB, U 92.7 and K News.