Super Typhoon Man-yi wreaked havoc on the most populous island of the Philippines on Sunday. The National Weather Service has warned that this storm will cause floods, landslides and huge waves in the sea throughout the archipelago. Man-Yi was packing maximum winds of 185 kilometers (115 miles) per hour when it first made landfall on the sparsely populated Catanduanes Islands late Saturday night. Later the wind speed reached 305 kilometers per hour.
More than 12 lakh people have fled their homes before the storm Man-Yi. These also include several thousand people from the capital Manila. The weather forecast had warned to avoid this powerful storm, describing it as “life-threatening”. This storm has wreaked havoc in unusual weather.
Man-Yi wreaked havoc on Catanduanes in the typhoon-prone Bicol region, uprooting trees, downing power lines and collapsing weakened homes. Civil defense chief Ariel Nepomuceno said no deaths were reported, but there was “extensive” damage to structures in Catanduanes.
Densely populated Luzon island affected
Forecasters said Man-Yi is a super typhoon as it hit densely populated Luzon, the country’s economic engine. He also warned of “potentially dangerous” conditions in Aurora Province.
“I saw sheets of roof flying off the houses around our building. Tree branches were breaking and falling,” said Julius Fabiannes, a rescue worker with the Aurora disaster agency in Baler city.
The weather service predicted “significant weakening” as Man-yi passed through the mountainous island. However, it also said that “intense torrential” rains could cause severe flooding and landslides in the provinces in Man-Yi’s path.
Forecasters also warned that storm surges reaching heights of more than three meters could inundate vulnerable coastal areas, including Manila.
Panganiban Municipality, located northeast of Catanduanes, received a direct hit from Man-Yi. Photos and drone video shared on Mayor Cesar Robles’ Facebook page showed downed power lines, damaged and destroyed buildings, and trees and corrugated iron sheets scattered across roads.
