[ad_1]
Residents wade across a flooded bridge over a river swollen by heavy rains in Ilagan City, Isabela province, north of Manila on October 31, 2020, before Typhoon Goni makes landfall in the Philippines. (Photo by Villamor Visaya / AFP)
More than 200,000 people in the Philippines were ordered to evacuate their homes on Saturday as the most powerful typhoon of the year so far this year poured into the country, and authorities warned of “destructive” winds and storm surge.
Typhoon Rolly (international name: Goni) is expected to brush over the southeastern corner of Luzon early Sunday before making landfall in the afternoon with winds of up to 205 kilometers (127 miles) per hour, the state meteorologist said.
It comes a week after Typhoon Quinta (international name Molave) struck the same region, killing 22 people and flooding low-lying villages and farmland, before traversing the South China Sea into Vietnam.
Schools that have been empty since the start of the coronavirus pandemic will be used as emergency shelters, as well as evacuation centers and government-run gymnasiums.
“It looks like we’re going to have really strong winds, increasing the chances of widespread flooding and landslides,” Mark Timbal, spokesman for the National Council for Disaster Risk Reduction and Management, told local broadcaster ABS-CBN.
“Storm surges are imminent on our east coast. We are monitoring the Mayon and Taal volcanoes for possible volcanic mud streams. “
On Saturday, authorities stepped up preparations in the Bicol region, southeast of Manila, by assembling rescue vehicles, emergency response teams and relief items ahead of the typhoon.
The weather service has warned of a “moderate to high risk” of storm surges up to three meters (10 feet) high along the east coast over the next two days.
“Violent winds and heavy rains” are expected that could cause flooding and landslides in a region of more than 20 million people, he said.
“Evacuating people is more difficult at the moment due to COVID-19,” regional civil defense spokesman Alexis Naz told AFP.
More than 200,000 people have been told to seek refuge in the Bicol region and evacuations are also expected in other areas.
A maximum of five people will be allowed to shelter in a single room at the school that previously would have had 16, Naz said, adding that the natural disaster-prone region had sufficient facilities.
Hundreds of people were stranded after the coast guard ordered ferries and fishing boats to enter the port while waiting for the rough sea to throw up 15-meter waves.
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.
Click here for more weather related news.
Read next
Subscribe to INQUIRER PLUS to get access to The Philippine Daily Inquirer and more than 70 other titles, share up to 5 gadgets, listen to the news, download from 4am and share articles on social media. Call 896 6000.
For comments, complaints or inquiries, please contact us.
[ad_2]
