More than 400,000 people in the Philippines were forced to evacuate their homes as powerful Typhoon Manyi hit the eastern province of Catanduanes, destroying homes and causing tidal waves.
The storm made landfall Saturday night with winds of up to 195 mph and gusts up to 149 mph. The country’s meteorological agency had warned of “potentially catastrophic and life-threatening conditions” in states along its route.
Manyi, locally known as Pepito, weakened slightly after hitting land and was expected to reach the coastal waters of Camarines Norte province by 8 a.m. local time on Sunday, the Southeast Asian country’s meteorological agency said.
The city of Catanduanes remains without power after the storm toppled trees and utility poles, and disaster response teams are determining how many more homes have been damaged in addition to those damaged in earlier storms. he said.
There were no immediate reports of casualties from the typhoon, but the typhoon was expected to sweep further northwest across northern Luzon. “This tropical cyclone is expected to weaken significantly as it passes over mainland Luzon today,” the Japan Meteorological Agency announced.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. had asked cabinet members and state officials to prepare for the “worst-case scenario.”
“Apart from food, we need tin roofs and other construction materials. Villagers here say they have not yet recovered from past storms and are stranded again by this typhoon.” Catanduanes City said Roberto Monterola, disaster prevention officer. he said. Associated Press.
“Here along Main Street, the storm surge reached over 23 feet near the beach huts. It looked really scary,” he said.
According to authorities, nearly half of the island state’s 80,000 people have evacuated to evacuation centers.
More than 400,000 people followed evacuation orders and took shelter in schools, shopping malls and other evacuation centers, officials said. “Continuous typhoons have saturated the ground, making it even more dangerous for residents of landslide-prone areas,” Civil Defense Director Ariel Nepomuceno said. BBC As you say.
At least 26 domestic and two international airports were temporarily closed, and interisland ferry and cargo services were also suspended, leaving thousands of passengers and commuters stranded, the country’s civil aviation authority said.
An estimated 750,000 people have been evacuated to shelters due to Man’yi and two previous storms, mainly in the northern Philippines, officials said.
On average, about 20 tropical cyclones strike the Philippines each year, bringing heavy rain, strong winds, and deadly landslides. According to government statistics, 162 people died and 22 went missing in October due to flooding and landslides caused by Tropical Storm Trami and Typhoon Conrei.
In 2013, Typhoon Haiyan, one of the strongest tropical cyclones on record, left more than 7,300 people dead or missing in the central Philippines, flattened entire villages, and caused ships to run aground and crash into homes. It occurred.
Additional reporting by agency
