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The third typhoon to hit the storm-ravaged Philippines in as many weeks has caused massive flooding in the capital Manila, trapping people on rooftops and killing at least two people in another part of the Southeast Asian archipelago.
Typhoon Vamco brought winds of up to 155 kilometers per hour (96 miles per hour) as it struck the country’s largest island of Luzon after making landfall overnight Thursday.
Heavy rains paralyzed Manila, the sprawling capital of 12 million people, and the surrounding areas, turning streets into rivers when authorities warned of potentially deadly landslides and storms along the coast.
“Many places are submerged. A lot of people are asking for help, “said Rouel Santos, 53, a retired disaster officer in Rizal province, near the capital.
Santos said the floods caused by Vamco brought back memories of the devastating Typhoon Ketsana, known in the Philippines as Tropical Storm Ondoy, which struck in 2009 and claimed hundreds of lives.
The Philippine Red Cross, police, army and other rescuers used boats to reach people stranded in their homes in Marikina city, one of the most affected areas of the capital, where water in some streets reached the shoulder height.
The schools, which have been empty since the start of the coronavirus pandemic in March, are being used as emergency shelters alongside gyms. About 180,000 people were in evacuation centers, authorities said.
The weather service warned of life-threatening storm surges off parts of the coast, including Manila, which could flood low-lying areas.
Flood warnings were issued for several cities north of the capital as authorities released water from fast-fill dams.
President Rodrigo Duterte said in a statement that the government was “aware of the situation,” promising relief funds, goods and shelter for victims, as well as post-disaster counseling.
The Philippines is affected by an average of 20 storms and typhoons each year, which often wipe out crops, homes and infrastructure in already impoverished areas.
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