A powerful typhoon struck the Philippines on Saturday, bringing strong winds and heavy rain to a nation already grappling with the aftermath of recent storms. Over 850,000 people were evacuated as a precaution.
Typhoon Man-yi, known locally as Pepito, hit Catanduanes, an island near Luzon, late Saturday night. The storm had the force of a Category 5 hurricane at landfall but later weakened to a Category 4.
The storm caused significant disruption. “The surge could reach as high as 23 feet and that he had requested local authorities to evacuate residents from areas less than 33 feet above sea level,” said Jonvic Remulla, the Philippines interior secretary. The storm knocked out electricity on Catanduanes and stranded more than 2,600 passengers in ports around the Bicol region.
Forecasters warned of potential landslides and flooding, particularly in Catanduanes, which is expected to receive over seven inches of rain. Storm surges, potentially reaching 10 feet, pose a threat to coastal areas.
Man-yi is the latest in a series of typhoons to hit the Philippines in recent weeks, straining the country’s disaster relief resources. Typhoons Usagi, Toraji, Trami, Yinxing, and Kong-rey caused widespread flooding and landslides in the past month alone, leading to over 160 deaths.
