Philippines, Taiwan, China brace for raging typhoon
Pastor Dale Morgan
Philippines, Taiwan, China brace for raging typhoon*
By Oliver Teves, Associated Press
MANILA — Disaster-response agencies braced for possible floods and
landslides as a strong storm grew into a super typhoon Thursday close to
the Philippines' mountainous north.
Typhoon Sepat was roaring over the Pacific Ocean about 162 miles east of
northern Luzon island with sustained winds of 134 miles per hour and
gusts of up to 156 mph, the strongest storm to threaten the country this
year, forecasters said.
Storms with 134 mph sustained winds are categorized as super typhoons.
Sepat — a Malaysian word for a freshwater fish — could still grow
stronger over water before hitting Taiwan, where it was headed at 10 mph
around 4 p.m. local time (0800 GMT), said Prisco Nilo, deputy
administrator of the Philippine weather bureau.
"Structures made of wood will suffer heavy damage or could be destroyed.
Trees could be uprooted and (winds could) cause widespread damage to
agricultural crops," Nilo said.
Nilo said much of Luzon may be spared Sepat's strong winds by the Sierra
Madre mountain range on the eastern part of the island.
The typhoon also is inducing monsoon rains, which are expected to drench
Manila and the Visayas islands in the central Philippines.
Anthony Golez, deputy administrator of the Philippines' National
Disaster Coordinating Council, said small boats have been ordered not to
sail, local governments have been advised to stockpile relief goods and
public works staff and equipment are on standby to clear any landslides.
The military also would be mobilized in an emergency, he said.
Taiwan issued a warning for ships traveling through its southern waters
as Sepat approached.
If Sepat continues on its current course, its fringe could affect the
island early Friday and possibly make landfall over southeastern Taiwan
at night, Taipei Central Weather Bureau said.
The bureau urged ships in the Bashi Channel or seas southeast of Taiwan
to take extra precautions.
Monsoon rains induced by Sepat flooded many parts of the Philippine
capital on Wednesday, causing monstrous traffic jams and forcing
authorities to suspend classes and government work. Schools remained
closed Thursday due to fear of more rains.
Troops and firefighters evacuated more than 220 people from their
flooded homes, mostly in the capital's flood-prone suburbs of Marikina,
Malabon and San Juan, the National Disaster Coordination Council said.
There were no immediate reports of injuries from the fifth serious storm
to hit the country this year.
Back-to-back storms set off landslides and inundated many agricultural
regions of Luzon last week, killing at least eight people, according to
the government's Office of Civil Defense.