In the Philippines, super typhoon Man-yi, with “potentially catastrophic” impact, made landfall

Super Typhoon Man-yi, which is intensifying and could have an impact “potentially catastrophic” on the Philippines, made landfall in the archipelago on Saturday November 16, causing waves up to 14 meters high, according to the meteorological services.

More than 650,000 people have fled their homes in the run-up to this « super typhon » whose winds reached 195 kilometers/hour in the municipality of Catanduanes, in the Bicol region, at 9:40 p.m. (2:40 p.m. Paris time), 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.

“Potentially catastrophic and deadly situation looms in northeastern Bicol region as super typhoon Pepito further intensifies”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 us implement it and not wait for the hour of danger to evacuate or seek help, because (…) we would be endangering not only our lives, but also those of our rescuers”he said.

Around twenty big storms and typhoons per year

In the typhoon-plagued island province of Catanduanes in the Bicol region, evacuation centers are filling up and the weather agency is warning of severe flooding and landslides.

More than 400 people crowded into the provincial government building in the capital Virac, with new arrivals sent to a gymnasium, Roberto Monterola, provincial disaster official, told Agence France-Presse (AFP). Mr. Monterola announced that he had deployed soldiers to force around a hundred 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 meteorological 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.

In Northern Samar province, disaster manager 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 four thousand people were stranded after the coast guard closed fifty-five ports.

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. Scientists say climate change is increasing the intensity of storms, leading to heavier rains, flash floods and more violent gusts.