PHILADELPHIA — An American Red Cross office in Philadelphia is playing a big role in the effort to help those affected by Typhoon Haiyan, fielding hundreds of calls from people nationwide seeking information about the disaster in the Philippines.

The Southeastern Pennsylvania chapter answered more than 300 calls from midday Saturday through Monday night, which officials said is about 10 times the normal volume.

Many callers are trying to find loved ones in the devastated area. Others want to find ways to help, or to donate money or materials.

The massive storm that hit the island nation Friday has affected 9 million people, many of them now homeless. The official death toll rose to nearly 1,800 on Tuesday, but authorities expect that figure to rise sharply; they fear 10,000 fatalities.

The Red Cross call center in Philadelphia, which is open around the clock all year long, usually receives about a dozen calls a day about small regional disasters like house fires or flooding, spokesman Dave Schrader said.

But when a large-scale crisis strikes, the phones ring almost continuously as calls from across the U.S. are diverted to Philadelphia from Red Cross chapters that are not open 24/7, he said.