Super Typhoon Man-yi, which is intensifying and could have a “potentially catastrophic” impact on the Philippines, made landfall in the archipelago on Saturday, bringing waves as high as 14 meters, according to weather services .
More than 650,000 people have fled their homes as this super typhoon approaches winds reached 195 km/h in the municipality of Catanduanes, in the Bicol region, at 9:40 p.m. (1:40 p.m. in Paris), said the national meteorological agency. Millions of people are threatened by this sixth major storm to hit the Philippines in a month.
Previous attacks have killed at least 163 people, left thousands homeless, destroyed crops and killed livestock.
“A potentially catastrophic and deadly situation is looming in the northeastern Bicol region as super typhoon Pepito continues to intensify“the meteorological agency said before it made landfall, using the local name of the storm and referring to the southern part of the main island of Luzon.
On Saturday, the government called on the population to heed the warnings and take shelter. “If a preventive evacuation is necessary, let's do it and not wait for the hour of danger to evacuate or seek help, (…) we will endanger not only our lives, but also those of our rescuers” said Marlo Iringan, Undersecretary of the Interior.
Curfews and forced evacuations
In the typhoon-plagued island province of Catanduanes, evacuation centers are filling up and the weather agency is warning of severe flooding and landslides. The power was preventively cut there. The shelters were powered by generators.
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More than 400 people crowded into the provincial government building in the capital Viracwith new arrivals being sent to a gymnasium, Roberto Monterola, provincial disaster official, told AFP. He announced that he had deployed soldiers to force around 100 households in two coastal villages near Virac to head inland, for fear that the storm would submerge their homes. “Regardless of the exact point of arrival, heavy precipitation, strong winds and storm surges may occur in areas outside the expected arrival zone“, said the weather agency.
The mayor of the city of Naga, in the province of Camarines Sur, imposed a curfew from noon on Saturday to force residents to stay at home.
A return “to the medieval era” –
In Northern Samar province, disaster official Rei Josiah Echano says typhoon damage is causing poverty in the region. “Every time we have a typhoon like this, it takes us back to the medieval era,” Mr. Echano told AFP.
All vessels, from fishing boats to tankers, have been ordered to stay in port or return to dock.
Nearly 4,000 people were stranded after the coast guard closed 55 ports.
Scientists say climate change is increasing the intensity of storms, leading to heavier rains, flash floods and more violent gusts.
Every year, around 20 major storms and typhoons hit the Philippines or its surrounding waters, killing dozens of people, but it is rare for several such weather events to occur in a short period of time.
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