USCIS has issued a press release highlighting the ways Filipino nationals affected by Typhoon Haiyan can make use of certain immigration relief measures. Since natural disasters can affect "an individual’s ability to establish or maintain lawful immigration status in the United States," USCIS offers these benefits (which apply to not only Filipino nationals but others affected by natural disasters or extreme situations):

Change or extension of nonimmigrant status for an individual currently in the United States, even when the request is filed after the authorized period of admission has expired;
Extension of certain grants of parole made by USCIS;
Extension of certain grants of advance parole, and expedited processing of advance parole requests;
Expedited adjudication and approval, where possible, of requests for off-campus employment authorization for F-1 students experiencing severe economic hardship;
Expedited processing of immigrant petitions for immediate relatives of U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents (LPRs);
Expedited adjudication of employment authorization applications, where appropriate; and
Assistance to LPRs stranded overseas without immigration or travel documents, such as Permanent Resident Cards (Green Cards).

More information on these humanitarian relief measures and others is here. It is also important to be aware of any scams.

WNYC reports on the Filipino communities in New York and New Jersey awaiting word from those in the Philippines after the devastating typhoon, which may have killed about 10,000 in one city alone.

Anne Naguit, a coordinator for the National Alliance for Filipino Concerns, says the tragedy is being made much worse by another recent disaster.

"Before the typhoon there was an earthquake, and the typhoon actually passed by the same route where the earthquake occurred last month," she said.

Naguit says the Queens Filipino community will gather Wednesday evening at the Bayanihan Filipino Community Center in Woodside to share information and hold a vigil.

Jersey City Council President Rolando Lavarro, the first Filipino-American elected to the council, says "his constituents are anxious because simply trying to place a call to the Phillipines is next to impossible right now since almost everyone uses cell phones."

The Washington Post further reports on the devastation and government response. The American Red Cross is accepting donations to aid those affected by the typhoon.