Evacuations issued as Typhoon ravages Philippines

26 September 2011

MANILA, PHILLIPINES – Officials have issued evacuations for more than 100,000 people, asking them to seek shelter from the powerful typhoon that hit the shores of the Philippines. The typhoon spanned as an incredible 400-mile cloud and dumped enormous amounts of rainfall on the country while pummeling it with winds over 100 miles per hour (170km), which threatened the main island on the Philippines known as Luzon Island. Due to the extensive downpour, Philippine officials were faced with having to shut down schools and Universities in the Philippine capital of Manila. Luzon Island is suffering from massive power outages, which left emergency services, hospitals, and hotels in the dark and without the basic necessities. In the Albay Province of the Philippines around 112,000 people have been instructed to leave their homes in order to safely escape massive landslides and flashfloods that the area is known for, while over 50,000 other people have been forced to move into government controlled evacuation centres or stay with relatives in safer parts of the country. Among other issues for officials, is the fear of the safety for farming communities positioned at the base of the Mayon Volcano in Albay Province, as there has been several tons of volcanic ash deposited on the slopes from past eruptions. With the heavy rainfall the area is seeing, officials see the inevitability of massive mudslides occurring in the area just as they did years ago in 2006. The typhoon that has the country in a panic comes two years after the some of the worst flooding in Manila’s history that resulted in the deaths of around 500 civilians.

SOURCE: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/sep/27/philippines-evacuation-ordered-typhoon-causes-chaos

RELIABILITY: 9