A Canberran who survived the bushfires in 2003 has now survived the worst natural disaster to hit the Philippines.


Peter Harris, from Chapman, who moved to Cebu only four weeks ago, said he feared for his family's lives as typhoon Haiyan ripped through the island. "Everything went past the window, I was so worried about the glass breaking," Mr Harris said.


North Cebu is west of the hardest-hit region, Tacloban, and was in the direct path. Oxfam says 98 per cent of houses in north Cebu have been destroyed. Drinking water, food and medicine are desperately needed.


This is not the first time Mr Harris's house has survived a disaster.


During the Canberra fires 10 years ago his house was saved while 17 of 22 homes on his street were lost. He said a generator and fridge he bought after the fires helped him survive this latest disaster.


"We had to stay inside for about 12 hours. There's been no power, it just came back on last night. We've had power because I've got that generator," he said. "I'm a type one diabetic. If I didn't have my fridge I wouldn't have survived."


The 66-year-old said after the typhoon hit the region the Malaysian air force dropped food and tents into Tacloban but he did not know what was happening now.


"It's really bad over there. Tens of thousands of people haven't eaten for days," he said. "They can get there, they can get a boat over there."


According to Oxfam it was difficult to get to north Cebu because of the amount of debris over the roads, and while the immediate needs of the area were a concern the long-term affects were also a cause for worry.