One dead and thousands evacuated as Typhoon Kammuri hits Philippines
- Storm expected to pass close to Manila after making landfall, with airport set to close for 12 hours
- Philippines hit by an average of 20 storms and typhoons a year. Deadliest was Super Typhoon Haiyan in 2013
At least one person has died and tens of thousands have been evacuated as Typhoon Kammuri hits the Philippines’ main Luzon island.
Kammuri has continued to gain strength, now packing maximum winds of 175km/h near the centre and gusts of up to 240km/h, the nation’s weather bureau said late on Monday.
More than 50 areas are on storm signal 3, the third-highest in a five-level warning system, as it made landfall in Sorsogon province late on Monday.
Under signal 3, gusts of as much as 170km/h – strong enough to topple coconut trees and destroy rice and corn crops – may be expected in 18 hours.
Metro Manila and nearly a hundred other areas in Luzon and Visayas are under signal 2. Heavy rains and winds due to the typhoon are expected to be felt in the capital starting on Tuesday morning, prompting class suspensions.
More than 217,000 people have fled their homes in Bicol, many of them staying in evacuation centres, authorities said.
The Manila airport will be shut from 11am to 11pm on Tuesday in preparation for expected onslaught of Kammuri, the Transportation Department said. Philippine Airlines, Cebu Air and AirAsia Group have suspended more than 380 flights, according to the airport authority’s Facebook page.
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“We hope there won’t be any damage, but given its [Kammuri’s] strength, we can’t avoid it,” said Mark Timbal, spokesman for the national disaster agency. “We have preemptively evacuated people in areas that are in the storm’s direct path.”
However, some residents opted to stay put even as the storm’s power began to hit.
“The wind is howling. Roofs are being torn off and I saw one roof flying,” local Gladys Castillo Vidal said.
“We decided to stay because our house is a two-storey made of concrete … Hopefully it can withstand the storm.”
The Philippines is hit by an average of 20 storms and typhoons each year, killing hundreds and putting people in disaster-prone areas in a state of constant poverty.
Kammuri is already snarling plans for the SEA Games, which opened on Saturday for thousands of athletes from the region and is set to run through December 11 in and around Manila.
Windsurfing was cancelled and triathlon events were held earlier than scheduled.
Ramon Suzara, the chief operating officer of the organising committee, said contingency plans were in place for bad weather, but the duration of the games would not be extended. “Everything is set,” Suzara told reporters. “For contingency, all venues, all competition managers, technical delegates are ready.”
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This year’s Games in Clark, Manila and Subic are already particularly complex, with a record 56 sports across dozens of venues that are in some cases hours apart by car.
Around 8,750 athletes and team officials are expected at this year’s 30th edition – the biggest ever – along with another 12,000 volunteers. Organisers hope more than 500 million viewers will tune in on television by the end of competition on December 11.
The Philippines have made a strong start to the Games, rising to the top of the medal table with over 50 in total, ahead of Vietnam in second place and Thailand in third.
The host nation added to their haul of gold medals on Monday with wins in downhill mountain biking and stick-wielding martial art arnis, while claiming a silver in the rescheduled men’s duathlon event in Subic.
A glitzy dancesport competition in Clark on Sunday saw the Philippines pick up 10 golds.
Bloomberg and Agence France-Presse
