Yet another "Super Typhoon" hits the Philippines

[GaryC 7]

Powerful typhoon kills 55 in Philippines

By OLIVER TEVES, Associated Press Writer

MANILA, Philippines - Typhoon Durian tore through the eastern Philippines on Thursday with winds of up to 139 mph, killing at least 55 people and cutting off power to thousands of homes, officials said.

A mudslide swept down on the village of Padang at the foot of the Mayon volcano, and at least 20 bodies were recovered, Noel Rosal, mayor of Legazpi city, capital of badly hit Albay province, said Friday.

Some victims had their clothes ripped off as they were swept away by the mudslide, he told The Associated Press by phone on Friday.

"I could not bear to look at some of them," Rosal said.

Elsewhere in Albay, 26 people were killed in Santo Domingo and 13 were missing, while another nine deaths were reported in the town of Daraga, said Jukes Nunez of the Provincial Disaster Coordinating Council.

About 30 people were injured by boulders and roofing materials in Padang and taken to hospitals, Rosal said.

Jukes Nunez of the Albay Provincial Disaster Coordinating Council said many parts of Legazpi were still flooded Friday morning.

"The request for rescue is overwhelming," he said. "The disaster managers are victims themselves."

The typhoon weakened early Friday as it moved north of Mindoro island, south of Manila, with sustained winds of 94 mph and gusts of up to 116 mph as it headed toward the South China Sea.

Rescuers struggled against strong winds to rescue residents whose roofs were torn off, exposing them to rain and flying sheets of metal, Naga Mayor Jessie Robredo told The Associated Press by cell phone. With telephone lines down, many residents whose houses were uprooted by the wind sought help by sending cell phone text messages.

"I've received SMS messages of 10 small houses being blown away by the wind and many others getting damaged," Robredo said.

The "super typhoon" — the fourth to hit the Philippines in as many months — was packing sustained winds of 121 mph and gusts of up to 139 mph, the weather bureau said.

The civil defense office said electricity was cut off to thousands of people in Bicol and 10 towns in nearby Quezon province, while nearly 4,000 ferry passengers were stranded after the coast guard grounded all vessels.

In late September, Typhoon Xangsane left 230 people dead and missing in and around Manila. Typhoon Cimaron killed 19 people and injured 58 others last month, and earlier this month, Chebi sliced through the central Luzon region, killing one.

About 20 typhoons and tropical storms hit the Philippines each year.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20061201/ap_on_re_as/asia_storm

Edited December 1, 2006 by Iniibig ko si Luz forever

[StarProg 0]

This one had me worried. It was headed straight towards Iba and central Zambales, but then it veered south before reaching Manila. Fely lives in a cement house, but some of her sisters still have bamboo walls and roofs. I am however sorry for those that lost their lives, loved ones and property. I hope the powerful typhoons this year prove to be an exception and not the new norm.

[Mags 112]

Damn, I hope everyone stays safe.

Edited December 1, 2006 by mags

[mrc 0]

Susie lives in Korea but she's from Legazpi City and all her remaining family, including her brother (her parents are both deceased) still live there. I don't think she's heard about this Typhoon yet...I'll have to let her know.

[isleta521 5]

Terrible.

[Hilarious Clinton 452]

We rode right through a typhoon near the Philippines on my ship when I was in the Navy. It was quite a ride. We were nuclear powered so we didn't have to refuel for 10+ years but the frigate we were escorting burned oil and was low on fuel so they couldn't go around the typhoon. We had to stick with them in case they went dead in the water (DIW). It's very dangerous to go DIW in a typhoon.

Stay safe in the P.I. !!

[garya505 2]

The latest I heard is 200 dead.

[almaty 19]

sad....

[garya505 2]

I want to get my fiancee out of there ASAP. Having been there twice, one of the things I noticed is that life there is fraught with peril. People seem to get old fast, and die young. No seat belt usage, no fire codes (at least that I could see), children playing in the street, and then there's the typhoons ...

I try not to worry, but I do anyway.

[JaJo 1]

[StarProg 0]

Here I was worried about the typhoon, and now I find out Fely was frolicking at the Masinloc Fiesta the night the typhoon was supposed to hit. garya505 I agree, got to get our sweeties outta there, cause some of them don't have much sense either.

[ready4ONE 5,400]

The number is now 300 and climbing...

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20061202/ap_on_re_as/asia_storm

My gal is in United Arab Emirates now, heavy rains and the streets are flooding, but no typhoon's!

[over 0]

Powerful typhoon kills 55 in Philippines

By OLIVER TEVES, Associated Press Writer

MANILA, Philippines - Typhoon Durian tore through the eastern Philippines on Thursday with winds of up to 139 mph, killing at least 55 people and cutting off power to thousands of homes, officials said.

A mudslide swept down on the village of Padang at the foot of the Mayon volcano, and at least 20 bodies were recovered, Noel Rosal, mayor of Legazpi city, capital of badly hit Albay province, said Friday.

Some victims had their clothes ripped off as they were swept away by the mudslide, he told The Associated Press by phone on Friday.

"I could not bear to look at some of them," Rosal said.

Elsewhere in Albay, 26 people were killed in Santo Domingo and 13 were missing, while another nine deaths were reported in the town of Daraga, said Jukes Nunez of the Provincial Disaster Coordinating Council.

About 30 people were injured by boulders and roofing materials in Padang and taken to hospitals, Rosal said.

Jukes Nunez of the Albay Provincial Disaster Coordinating Council said many parts of Legazpi were still flooded Friday morning.

"The request for rescue is overwhelming," he said. "The disaster managers are victims themselves."

The typhoon weakened early Friday as it moved north of Mindoro island, south of Manila, with sustained winds of 94 mph and gusts of up to 116 mph as it headed toward the South China Sea.

Rescuers struggled against strong winds to rescue residents whose roofs were torn off, exposing them to rain and flying sheets of metal, Naga Mayor Jessie Robredo told The Associated Press by cell phone. With telephone lines down, many residents whose houses were uprooted by the wind sought help by sending cell phone text messages.

"I've received SMS messages of 10 small houses being blown away by the wind and many others getting damaged," Robredo said.

The "super typhoon" — the fourth to hit the Philippines in as many months — was packing sustained winds of 121 mph and gusts of up to 139 mph, the weather bureau said.

The civil defense office said electricity was cut off to thousands of people in Bicol and 10 towns in nearby Quezon province, while nearly 4,000 ferry passengers were stranded after the coast guard grounded all vessels.

In late September, Typhoon Xangsane left 230 people dead and missing in and around Manila. Typhoon Cimaron killed 19 people and injured 58 others last month, and earlier this month, Chebi sliced through the central Luzon region, killing one.

About 20 typhoons and tropical storms hit the Philippines each year.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20061201/ap_on_re_as/asia_storm

As I work at the Mayo Clinic, and we send people across the world on humanitarian missions, this one has hit home for me. and now I worry every minute in thinking of all the things that could result in our loved ones being taken from us before getting here. God help not only us, but all who await our loved ones. But this is especially true in nature in that they live life daily in peril, and poverty, and in fear of their own survival. I am praying tonight that God sends my Rose to me as soon as possible, and that he protects her and everyone in the Phil's. Dios Mabalos....Ingat Palagi........Randy N Rose.

[garya505 2]

Red Cross: Asia Storm Toll May Hit 1,000

Sun Dec 3, 12:01 AM

DARAGA, Philippines - The Red Cross estimated Sunday that up to 1,000 people may have died in the typhoon that unleashed walls of black mud on entire villages in the Philippines. The country's president declared a state of national calamity.

http://www.comcast.net/news/international/.../03/533676.html

[mrc 0]

I'm really worried about this...they say the worst damage was done around the two km radius of the Mayon Volcano due to mudslides. Susie's family (her parents are both deceased...brother, aunt, uncle) live six kim from the volcano. She has a lot of things on her mind with her interview next week and now she can't contact her brother. I'm sure (hoping) her family is doing well and safe.