NOVEMBER 20, 2013: A PORT man spoke to the Tele about how he got caught up in the monster typhoon which devastated part of the Philippines.

Remarkably, it wasn't the first time that Harry McCullagh, 51, had survived a natural disaster — as the electrical engineer and construction manager also managed to walk away unscathed from Hurricane Wilma in Mexico in 2005, as reported by the Tele at the time.

Harry’s dad, Stewart, and several cousins still live in Port Glasgow, and he has been in touch to let them know that he is alive and well after Typhoon Haiyan hit the Philippines on 8 November.

He was volunteering as a relief worker with the Department of Social Welfare and Development and expected to be there for at least another month.

It’s believed around 2,500 people were killed in the deadly typhoon. More than 11 million
people were affected and some 673,000 displaced.

Harry left Port Glasgow in 1985 and had been working in Brisbane, Australia before travelling to the Philippines.

(Image: Newsquest) Harry told the Tele: “I left Australia and came to the Philippines for a while for a break.

“I was in a hotel in Cebu City when the typhoon hit.

“It went on for several hours. The winds were very strong and it was pretty wild.

"We were advised not to leave the hotel. The electricity was on and off for four days, but everything is okay now where I am.

“There are four ex-pats in the hotel, and we all decided to volunteer to help by packing rice, meat and other supplies which are taken away by truck to help families who have been left with nothing.

"The people here are so grateful for any help you can give them. Despite everything that’s
happened, they are cheery and really the best people in the world.”