The Philippines is hit by an average of 20 storms and typhoons each year.
Manila:
The third typhoon to hit the storm-ravaged Philippines in as many weeks caused severe flooding in Manila on Thursday, trapping some people on rooftops and claiming at least one life in another part of the country.
Typhoon Vamco brought winds of up to 155 kilometers (96 miles) per hour as it swept through Luzon after making landfall overnight, with authorities warning of landslides and potentially fatal storm surges along on the side.
Heavy rains effectively shut down Manila, the sprawling capital of 12 million people, and its surrounding areas.
“A lot of places are overwhelmed. A lot of people are asking for help,” said Rouel Santos, 53, a retired disaster worker in Rizal province, near Manila.
Santos said the flooding 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.
At least one person has died and three others are missing in Camarines Norte province, the country’s civil defense office said Wednesday evening.
The weather service has warned of potentially fatal storm surges several meters high along parts of the coast, including Manila, that could flood low areas.
The Bicol region, which Vamco grazed before making landfall, was hit by powerful winds and heavy rain on Wednesday as the eye of the typhoon approached the disaster-prone archipelago.
The area, which includes the island of Catanduanes, is still reeling from the deadly typhoons Molave and Goni, which killed dozens of people and destroyed tens of thousands of homes.
Sections of Bicol remain without power and with limited or no telecommunications services after Goni – the strongest typhoon so far this year – toppled power lines, flattened houses and flooded roads.
The Philippines is hit by an average of 20 storms and typhoons each year, which typically destroy crops, homes and infrastructure in already impoverished areas.
(Except for the title, this story was not edited by GalacticGaming staff and is posted from a syndicated feed.)
