A nation now dealing with the effects of recent storms was hit by a powerful typhoon on Saturday, sending strong winds and heavy rain to the country. Over 850, 000 people were evacuated as a protection.
Typhoon Man-yi, known locally as Pepito, hit Catanduanes, an area near Luzon, later Saturday evening. At land, the wind weakened to a Category 4 cyclone, which it eventually compared to a Category 5 storms.
The wind caused major disruption. According to the interior minister of the Philippines,” He had requested local officials to evacuate people from places less than 33 feet above sea level,” the wave could reach as high as 23 foot. More than 2, 600 passengers were stranded in ports in the Bicol place after the wind knocked out power on Catanduanes.
Experts warned of possible floods and flooding, especially in Catanduanes, which is expected to receive over seven inches of rain. Storm surges, probably reaching 10 feet, pose a danger to coastal regions.
Man-yi is the latest in a series of storms to hit the Philippines in recent months, straining the government’s disaster relief tools. Storms Usagi, Toraji, Trami, Yinxing, and Kong-rey caused widespread flooding and landslides in the past month only, leading to over 160 incidents.
