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| Typhoon Mangkhut Wreaks Havoc in Philippines |
Like Kerala-India, the havoc of nature also broke in
Philippine. Thousands of people in the Philippines have been evacuated from
their homes to escape the deadly storm, which made landfall on the northern
island of Luzon. Everywhere a catastrophe is looking. There is still awe in people. People are not able to forget this calamity.There is still a lot of awe among those who have seen this
The most powerful storm in the world this year, swept
through the northern end of the Philippine island of Luzon, leaving at least 50
people dead and wreaking havoc. It uprooted trees, ripped off roofs, set off
landslides and flooded farms and roads. People are troubled, everything looks
scattered.
But it could be days or weeks before the storm’s true human
toll is known. It will also take time to assess how much damage was done to the
country’s prime agricultural region and to the economy. Damage to farms could
be extensive — and costly for the nation. The region is the country’s largest
food producer, and the destruction of crops could lead to food shortages,
higher costs and inflation.
“It was shaking like an earthquake,” said Mr. Tumaneng, 55,
a fish farmer in the town of Claveria on Luzon’s north coast. “This storm was
different because the wind was low to the ground like it was crawling and
destroying everything,” he said after the storm hit.
Communications in the disaster zone were hampered by power
and cell service outages, and access was difficult in many places because of
flooding and road closures, making it hard to evaluate the storm’s full effect.
Trees and coconuts were strewn across the roads, which were
deserted except for volunteer crews removing debris and the occasional
emergency vehicle.
In one community after another, emergency workers reported
downed trees and badly damaged buildings. Signs, tin roofs and gates that had
been torn free flew about.
Among the casualties was a family of four killed when a
landslide struck their home in the Cordillera Mountains, south of Claveria, according
to a top government official, Francis Tolentino.
“The northernmost towns of Cagayan are believed to be badly
hit and it is still difficult to access these areas as of the moment,” The
people say they need food, water, dry clothes and shelter repair materials.
The typhoon, with wind speeds reaching 170 miles an hour
before reaching land, could have caused far more damage if it had hit Luzon
farther south and closer to Manila — a megacity of more than 12 million people.
The capital was hit by heavy rain and strong winds, with trees uprooted and
flooding in some areas.
More than 1,600 families were evacuated after the Marikina
River, which runs through part of the city, began rising quickly because of
runoff from nearby mountains. The police said the body of a child, about 10
years old, was found floating in the river.
“This was the
strongest and the worst storm that I’ve ever experienced in my life,” said a
lady, Teresita Antonio, 54. “I was crying because I don’t know how I will be
able to afford to fix my house.”
No rescuers have reached the area yet.
In the town of Sanchez-Mira, a dozen miles east, local
officials said they had ensured people’s safety by pushing them to take shelter
at the community hall. Eventually, 271 people complied. Some had to be rounded
up by police car.
Leaving the Philippines behind on Saturday evening, Typhoon
Mangkhut took aim at Hong Kong and southern China, where it was expected to
make landfall on Sunday.
While winds had weakened, forecasts indicated that it would
still pack the power of a Category 2 storm when it came ashore, possibly near
Maoming, a big petrochemicals center.
The area forecast to be affected has relatively few
low-lying towns that would be vulnerable to the rising sea levels of a storm
surge, and Guangdong, China’s most populous province, has extensive experience
with typhoons and is well prepared.
If Mangkhut shifts slightly to the north, though, it could
hit Hong Kong and the Pearl River Delta area, one of the world’s most important
manufacturing hubs and home to more than 60 million people.
Hong Kong itself is quite resilient to typhoons and although
heavy rain could trigger landslides, the former British colony is not
especially vulnerable to flooding with few low-lying areas.
The sprawling river delta around it, however, is barely
above sea level and has struggled with flooding despite years of investment in
drainage systems.
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