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Strong typhoon slams into pandemic-hit Philippines Strong typhoon slams into pandemic-hit Philippines
(about 8 hours later)
MANILA, Philippines — A strong typhoon slammed into the eastern Philippines on Thursday after authorities evacuated tens of thousands of people while trying to avoid the virus risks of overcrowding emergency shelters. MANILA, Philippines — A strong typhoon slammed into the eastern Philippines on Thursday, knocking out power and threatening food crops in a new emergency for a country already overwhelmed by the coronavirus pandemic.
The first typhoon to hit the country this year rapidly gained force as it blew from the Pacific then barged ashore in San Policarpio town in Eastern Samar province around noon, weather agency administrator Vicente Malano said. Typhoon Vongfong blew into Eastern Samar province at noon with fierce rain and wind as tens of thousands of people were being evacuated to safety in provinces along its northwestward path through the country’s most populous region. There were no immediate reports of casualties or major damage.
The typhoon came as the Philippines is trying to fight COVID-19 outbreaks largely by locking Filipinos in their homes and prohibiting gatherings that can set off infections. More than 11,600 infections, including 772 deaths, have been reported in the country. After landfall, the storm maintained its maximum sustained winds of about 155 kilometers (96 miles per hour) but its gusts intensified to 255 kph (158 mph), weather agency administrator Vicente Malano said.
Typhoon Vongfong, which was packing maximum sustained winds of 150 kilometers per hour (93 miles per hour) and gusts of up to 185 kph (115 mph), was forecast to blow northwestward and barrel across densely populated eastern provinces and cities before exiting in the north Sunday. The typhoon hit as the Philippines struggles to deal with coronavirus outbreaks, largely with a lockdown in the main northern region of Luzon that is to be eased this weekend, except in metropolitan Manila and two other high-risk areas. The rest of the country will be placed in less restrictive quarantines, and crucial businesses will partially reopen starting next week after the economy contracted in the first quarter.
Overcrowding in emergency shelters is a common scene in the archipelago hit by about 20 typhoons and storms annually and regularly experiencing volcanic eruptions and earthquakes. More than 11,600 coronavirus infections, including 772 deaths, have been reported in the country.
Many officials faced a difficult dilemma on how to shield villagers from the double threats. Video showed fierce rain and wind swaying coconut trees, rattling tin roofs and obscuring visibility in Eastern Samar, where some towns lost power. “This is a double whammy,” Eastern Samar Gov. Ben Evardone said by telephone. “Psychologically, the people are already struggling with COVID and now we have this typhoon.”
“This is very complicated,” Mayor Benjamin Ver of a town in the typhoon’s path told The Associated Press by telephone. Evardone said the entire province lost power, apparently due to downed electricity lines. Six northern towns could not be reached by cellphone or two-way radio, and the storm hit during the harvest season for rice and corn, he said.
Far-flung Jipapad is prone to landslides and flooding. The town in Eastern Samar province is surrounded by mountains and planked by two rivers that often swell in storms. The only evacuation centers for its 8,000 villagers are a gymnasium and the town hall where residents could be sheltered from the typhoon. Ver, who also is the town’s only doctor, said he has secured enough face masks to protect his villagers from the virus in the town hall when the typhoon hits. Neighboring Northern Samar province also lost power, Gov. Edwin Ongchuan said by telephone, adding that authorities will survey the damage after the storm.
Observing social distancing “is almost impossible” if all the villagers are cramped in the town hall, but Ver said he would see what else can be done. Ongchuan said he asked for twice the usual number of school buildings to be turned into typhoon shelters to accommodate thousands of displaced coastal residents because of the required social distancing, which aims to reduce the chance of coronavirus infections.
Jipapad and the entire Eastern Samar, a province of half a million people, fortunately remain free of coronavirus infections unlike neighboring regions, provincial Gov. Ben Evardone said. All emergency shelters have been turned into quarantine facilities with medical equipment in case of outbreaks but may have to be rearranged back into evacuation centers if large numbers of people need shelter, Evardone told The AP. Overcrowding in emergency shelters has been common in an archipelago that is lashed by about 20 typhoons and storms annually and is often hit by volcanic eruptions and earthquakes.
Northern Samar provincial Gov. Edwin Ongchuan said he has asked for twice the usual number of school buildings to be turned into typhoon shelters to accommodate about 80,000 residents who were being forcibly evacuated from high-risk coastal villages. In Eastern Samar’s far-flung Jipapad town, Mayor Benjamin Ver said by telephone that social distancing is “almost impossible” to enforce, with only the town hall and a small gymnasium serving as evacuation shelters for about 8,000 residents in the flood- and landslide-prone municipality.
“If we used 10 school buildings before, we now need 20 to accommodate the evacuees with social distancing,” Ongchuan said by telephone. Ver said he has secured enough face masks to protect villagers from the virus if they take shelter in the town hall.
The government weather agency warned that “along with large swells, this storm surge may cause potentially life-threatening coastal inundation” and added that sea travel would be dangerous in regions expected to be battered by Vongfong, a Vietnamese word for wasp. Eastern Samar, a province of half a million people, remains free of confirmed coronavirus infections, unlike neighboring regions, Evardone said. All emergency shelters have been turned into quarantine facilities with medical equipment in case of outbreaks, but may have to be turned back into evacuation centers if large numbers of people need shelter, he said.
Metropolitan Manila will not be hit directly by the storm but may be lashed by strong winds. Officials were advised to remove many medical quarantine tents set up outside hospitals that could be blown away, Malano said.Metropolitan Manila will not be hit directly by the storm but may be lashed by strong winds. Officials were advised to remove many medical quarantine tents set up outside hospitals that could be blown away, Malano said.
The impoverished eastern region initially hit by Vongfong was devastated in 2013 by Typhoon Haiyan, which left more than 7,300 people dead or missing, flattened entire villages, swept ships inland and displaced more than 5 million.The impoverished eastern region initially hit by Vongfong was devastated in 2013 by Typhoon Haiyan, which left more than 7,300 people dead or missing, flattened entire villages, swept ships inland and displaced more than 5 million.
Copyright 2020 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.Copyright 2020 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.