Haiyan Makes Landfall in the Philippines, Killing at Least Four [VIDEOs]

Super Typhoon Haiyan made landfall in the Philippines early Friday morning, killing at least four people and forcing hundreds of thousands from their homes.

With winds reaching roughly 195 mph, the storm officially maxed out the Dvorak scale, used to measure tropical cyclone intensity, shortly before reaching land, NOAA reported, making it one of -- if not the -- strongest storms ever recorded.

"The humanitarian impact of Haiyan threatens to be colossal," Patrick Fuller, spokesman for the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, told reporters.

According to CNN, Haiyan slammed up against the province of Samar around 4:30 a.m. before continuing on to four other Philippine islands.

"About [90 percent] of the infrastructure and establishments were heavily damaged," Gwendolyn Pang, the secretary general of the Philippine National Red Cross, told the news outlet.

At least two people were electrocuted due to storm-related accidents, one killed by a fallen tree and another struck by lightning, USA Today reported officials as saying, noting that the death toll may rise as many remain cut off from power and communication.

Of the nearly 200 mph winds, meteorology expert Jeff Masters told The Associated Press: "There aren't too many buildings constructed that can withstand that kind of wind. The wind damage should be the most extreme in Philippines history."

Nearly 720,000 people living in central Philippines have been forced to evacuate, the AP cites the National Disaster RIsk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) as saying. According to NDRRMC, as of 6:00 p.m. Friday local time, the storm had "maintained its strength" in its steady march toward the Calamian group of islands.

President Benigno Aquino III says war-like preparations have been taken, with C-130 air force cargo planes and 32 military helicopters and planes on standby in addition to 20 navy ships, the AP reports. "No typhoon can bring Filipinos to their knees if we'll be united," Aquino declared in a televised address.

The BBC is currently live-blogging the storm here.