Nearly a million people in the Philippines were evacuated from their homes Saturday as the most powerful typhoon of the year so far barreled toward the country, with authorities warning of “destructive” winds and flooding.
Typhoon Goni is expected to slam into Catanduanes Island Sunday morning with wind speeds of up to 205 kilometers per hour (127 miles per hour) before crossing the main island of Luzon, the state weather forecaster said.
It comes a week after Typhoon Molave hit the same region of the natural disaster-prone archipelago, killing 22 people and flooding low-lying villages and farmland, before crossing the South China Sea to Vietnam.
“It looks like we will have really strong winds, increasing the chances of widespread flooding and landslides,” Mark Timbal, spokesman for the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council, told local broadcaster ABS-CBN.
“Storm surges are imminent on our east coast. We are monitoring Mayon and Taal volcanoes for possible volcanic mud flows.”
Civil Defense chief Ricardo Jalad said “almost a million” people had left their homes in the Bicol region, which includes the southern part of Luzon and Catanduanes.
The Philippine government issued evacuation orders for parts of Luzon Island on Saturday as Typhoon Goni took aim at the country.
ReplyDeleteThe Category 5 storm -- known in the Philippines as Rolly -- had 133 mph winds as of 10 p.m. The eye was located about 115 miles east of Virac, Catanduanes, and was moving west-southwest at 15 mph, according to the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration.
One of the most powerful typhoons in the world this year, Goni has evoked memories of Typhoon Haiyan in November 2013, which left more than 7,300 people dead and missing, flattened entire villages, swept ships inland and displaced more than five million in the central Philippines.
ReplyDeleteGoni follows Typhoon Molave, which hit the Philippines last month killing 22 people, mostly through drowning in provinces south of Manila.
Jalad, head of the disaster-response agency, said nearly a million people have been preemptively moved into emergency shelters, mostly schools and government buildings. He warned of storm surges that could inundate coastal villages, including in Manila Bay.
Forecasters said the typhoon’s eye may hit or graze metropolitan Manila, the densely populated capital region of more than 13 million, late Sunday to early Monday and asked the public to brace for the worst. The typhoon may considerably weaken after it hits the Sierra Madre mountain range, then cross the main northern Luzon island towards the South China Sea.
Typhoon Goni is barrelling across the Philippines, bringing with it "catastrophic" winds and rain.
ReplyDeleteAt least seven people have died amid reports of storm surges, flash floods, power outages and blown-off roofs.
Au moins dix personnes sont décédées, dimanche, aux Philippines, archipel balayé par le typhon Goni. Les autorités font état de conditions "catastrophiques" dans certaines régions. Près de 400 000 habitants ont été évacués.
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Il est considéré comme le typhon le plus puissant de l'année. Au moins dix personnes ont péri, dimanche 1er novembre, aux Philippines frappées par le typhon Goni. Les autorités évoquent des conditions "catastrophiques" dans certaines régions alors que près de 400 000 personnes ont été évacuées.
La tempête a touché terre sur l'île de Catanduanes, dimanche vers 5 h (21 h GMT samedi), accompagnée de vents à 225 km/h et de rafales mesurées à 310 km/h qui ont arraché des toits, des arbres et provoqué des crues soudaines et des glissements de terrain qui ont englouti des maisons entières.
Le typhon Goni, le plus puissant de cette année, a fait au moins sept morts et provoqué d’importantes destructions aux Philippines. Les opérations de recherche et de sauvetage se poursuivent dans l’archipel.
ReplyDeleteThere are fears a typhoon which slammed into the Philippines may have damaged 90% of the buildings in the first town it struck, the Red Cross has said.
ReplyDeletePhilippines Chairman Dick Gordon said a "visual" assessment showed that Virac, home to 70,000 people, had been badly affected by Typhoon Goni.
At least 16 people were killed after Goni made landfall on Catanduanes island as a super typhoon on Sunday.
It has now been downgraded to a tropical storm.