Perilous Times and Climate Change
Massive Super Typhoon Megi storms towards Philippines
* From: AAP
* October 17, 2010 1:38PM
TYPHOON Megi gathered strength as it barrelled towards the northern
Philippines today, with authorities warning of possible forced
evacuations.
With maximum winds of 160km/h near the centre and gusts of up to
195km/h, Megi was approaching the northeastern side of the country's
main island of Luzon.
It is expected to make landfall over the northern province of Cagayan
tomorrow, and as of this morning it was 630km east of the province, the
state weather bureau said.
Norma Talosig, regional chief of the Office of Civil Defence, said the
weather was deceptively calm over Cagayan, although they expect it to
change drastically within the day.
She said residents in low-lying areas in Cagayan as well as those in
coastal communities were being advised to move to safer areas and if
they refused they would be forcibly evacuated.
"If we have to conduct forced evacuation, we'll do it for their
(residents') safety," Talosig said over national radio. "Our main
objective is the safety of the community, the safety of the responders."
In Manila, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council
said food packs, medicine and rescue equipment, including rubber boats,
are ready in areas expected to be lashed by the typhoon.
The Philippines is battered by an estimated 20 typhoons a year, some of
them deadly.
Tropical Storm Ketsana and Typhoon Parma struck Luzon within a week of
each other in late September and early October last year, triggering
the worst flooding in recent history.
The twin storms killed more than a thousand people, affected nearly 10
million and caused damage worth $US4.3 billion ($4.34 billion)
according to the World Bank and international humanitarian agencies.
Read more:
http://www.news.com.au/breaking-news/typhoon-megi-storms-towards-philippines/story-e6frfku0-1225939769413#ixzz12a6JBUAb