Filipinos on alert for Typhoon Hagupit, expected to make landfall Saturday

World Today

Typhoon Hagupit (Ruby) from NOAA satellite imageTyphoon Hagupit (Ruby) from NOAA satellite image.

More than 70 million people in the Philippines are bracing for a potentially catastrophic storm as super Typhoon Hagupit is forecast to make landfall on Saturday. CCTV America’s Barnaby Lo reported this story from Manila, while CCTV America’s Frances Kuo reported from Washington, D.C.

As the storm churns with winds of more than 240 kph, or 149.13 mph, memories of super Typhoon Haiyan are on the minds of many. It was just over a year ago that Haiyan, known in Philippines as Yolanda, killed at least 6,300 people and wiped out almost everything in its path in the central regions of the country.

Tens of thousands of people in the path of Typhoon Hagupit, known locally as Ruby, have been evacuated as the storm was predicted to pack violent winds. People were being told to prepare for possible storm surges 3-4 meters (9.84-13.12 feet) high and torrential rain that could trigger floods and landslides. Evacuees in the province of Surigao del Norte have even occupied the governor’s office for refuge.

“I’m not just praying for Surigao, but for all the provinces that are in the path of the typhoon. The strength is 250 kph (155.34 mph), and it is very strong. I’m scared,” Surigao del Norte’s governor Sol Matugas said.

In Tacloban City, arguably the hardest-hit by Haiyany, people have been stocking up on food, water and other necessities. Local authorities were able to move those still living in tents to safer ground with very little convincing.

Google Crisis Map for Typhoon Hagupit in the Philippines
Zoom in to see shelters and crisis centers 

On Friday shops were shuttered, streets were stacked with sandbags, and residents holed up in shelters as they prepared for Typhoon Hagupit, which means “lash” in Tagalog.

In Tacloban, a city about 360 miles southeast of Manila, leaders tried to reassure residents. Typhoon Haiyan left thousands dead and wiped out entire villages here last year.

“We are more prepared now definitely that we were before.., because we started four or five days ago. we have already evacuated 95 percent of the people,” Alfred Romualdez, Tacloban’s mayor said.

In the capital Manila, Philippine President Benigo Aquino III, who had received criticism for a slow response to Haiyan, took a different approach.

“I’m pressing everybody. The checklist of what has to be done preferable should have been done yesterday,” he said.

A dozen of the most destructive typhoons in the Philippines

Mouse over each circle to compare the 16 largest typhoons to hit the Philippines since 1980 in terms of lives lost and economic damage. Circle size represents the number of dead and missing. Each storm includes both the official and Filipino name.

Overall cost has been adjusted for inflation into current U.S. dollars. Total costs and deaths include total damage done in all countries affected by that storm. Data: National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council, NOAA, Wikipedia, news reports.

Local fishermen have anchored their boats, or sailed to safety.

“We feel afraid, so we packed the luggage and ready to evacuate to make sure that our families would not be affected by the typhoon,” a woman said.

The typhoon is expected to cause tides as high as nine to 13 feet (three to four meters), which may submerge most houses in the coastal areas. Many people planned on moving to evacuation centers on Friday evening.

Story compiled with information from CCTV America, Reuters, and Associated Press reports.


Greg Postel of Weather Channel discusses Typhoon Hagupit

For more on the storm’s impact and what the people of the Philippines can expect CCTV America interviewed Greg Postel, the hurricane and storm specialist at the Weather Channel.


Oceanographer Ira Leifer discusses impact of climate change on hurricanes

CCTV America also interviewed Ira Leifer, a chemical and physical oceanographer at the The University of California Marine Institute about the role of climate change in severe weather events.