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At least four people were killed when Typhoon Goni hit the Philippines, and authorities warned of “catastrophic” conditions in the worst affected regions, where hundreds of thousands have fled their homes.
The strongest typhoon of the year so far made landfall on Catanduanes Island before dawn with maximum sustained wind speeds of 225 km / h and gusts of up to 310 km / h ripping off roofs, knocking down trees and causing flash floods.
Goni was downgraded from a “super typhoon” when it swept the southern tip of the most populated island of Luzon towards the capital Manila, the state meteorologist said in his latest update.
“Catastrophic violent winds and heavy to torrential rains” would hit areas in the path of the typhoon, including provinces near the capital, it warned.
“This is a particularly dangerous situation for these areas.”
Goni comes a week after Typhoon Molave struck the same region of the archipelago prone to natural disasters, killing 22 people.
At least four people, including a five-year-old boy, died in Albay province, Governor Alfrancis Bichara told a local radio station.
Two of the victims drowned and another was washed away by the volcanic mud. The fourth died when a tree fell.
The roofs of two evacuation centers were blown off by the force of the wind and the occupants moved to the lower floors, provincial public security chief Cedric Daep told DZBB radio station.
“Flash floods flooded our villages,” said Carlos Irwin Baldo, mayor of Camalig, near Legazpi.
“Our roads have a lot of debris from the mountains, like branches and sand, some of which comes from the Mayon (volcano). Some roads are impassable.”
So far, 346,993 people have been evacuated from their homes, said Civil Defense Chief Ricardo Jalad.
In Manila, slum residents at risk of being inundated by storm surges several meters high were being evacuated. The city’s airport has been closed as the typhoon approaches.
Loud alarms rang out on mobile phones as the National Council for Disaster Risk Reduction and Management issued an emergency alert warning of “very destructive to devastating” winds for Manila and the surrounding provinces in the coming hours.
Thousands of soldiers and policemen were ready to help with evacuations and rescue efforts. Disaster agencies spent yesterday assembling vehicles, emergency response teams and relief items before the storm hit.
The weather service warned of floods and landslides as Goni dumps heavy rains in the already soaked region.
Schools that have been empty since the start of the coronavirus pandemic are being used as emergency shelters, as are evacuation centers and government-run gymnasiums.
Covid-19 patients being treated in tents have been evacuated, authorities said.
The Philippines has recorded more than 378,000 infections, including more than 7,100 deaths, which has depleted its resources and complicated evacuations.
Almost 2,000 people have been stranded after the coast guard ordered ferries and fishing boats to arrive at the port waiting for the rough seas to throw up 16-meter waves.
Goni is expected to “weaken slightly” as it crosses southern Luzon and enters the South China Sea today or early Monday as a typhoon, the state forecaster said.
But another tropical storm is already brewing off the coast and is expected to intensify as it approaches the country in the coming days.
The Philippines is affected by an average of 20 storms and typhoons each year, which often wipe out crops, homes and infrastructure, and keep millions of people in perennial poverty.
The deadliest on record was Super Typhoon Haiyan, which unleashed tidal waves in the central city of Tacloban and left more than 7,300 dead or missing in 2013.
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