Typhoon leaves 2 dead, 16,000 displaced in Philippines

[Omaha Steve]

Source: AP

By JIM GOMEZ

MANILA, Philippines (AP) — Slow-moving Typhoon Koppu weakened after blowing ashore with fierce winds in the northeastern Philippines on Sunday, leaving at least two people dead, displacing 16,000 villagers and knocking out power in entire provinces, officials said.

Army troops and police were deployed to rescue residents trapped in flooded villages in the hard-hit provinces of Aurora, where the typhoon made landfall early Sunday, and Nueva Ecija, a nearby rice-growing province where floodwaters swamped rice farmlands at harvest time.

After slamming into Aurora's Casiguran town after midnight Saturday, the typhoon weakened and slowed down, hemmed in by the Sierra Madre mountain range and a high pressure area in the country's north and another typhoon far out in the Pacific in the east, government forecaster Gladys Saludes said.

Howling winds knocked down trees and electric posts, leaving nine entire provinces without power, while floods and small landslides made 25 roads and bridges impassable. Authorities suspended dozens of flights and sea voyages due to the stormy weather, and many cities canceled classes on Monday.

FULL story at link.

Read more: http://bigstory.ap.org/article/254d8ba2b01b492baa95c2fb4024465d/typhoon-koppu-weakens-still-dangerous-philippines

[davidpdx]

1. My thoughts go out to those in the Philippines

They have continually get hit by hurricanes year after year.

[yuiyoshida]

2. Typhoon Koppu begins battering the Philippines

[muriel_volestrangler]

3. The rain may cause the real damage, since it's so slow-moving

With Koppu's rainbands covering Luzon and slow movement of the storm, the island could be looking at several days of heavy rainfall from Koppu/Lando before what's left of it finally drifts farther north.

With rain rates in tropical cyclones typically in excess of 2 inches per hour and additional lift for the moist air provided by Luzon's mountainous terrain, extreme storm totals of 20 to 40 inches (500 to 1,000 millimeters) are likely across much of northern Luzon.

http://www.wunderground.com/news/typhoon-koppu-tropical-storm-western-pacific-philippines

[Oldenuff]

4. Right now it is the wind that is dangerous.

Heavy to severe rainfall is a big problem here,landslides and flooding etc,but right now high winds are a big problem.100 t0 130kph winds whipping through rural communities where homes are constructed of Nipa and Bamboo.Many of these homes will not be standing in the morning (and none will escape some measure of damage),and people this poor have few options for home repair.

We have a restaurant nearby.The workers are afraid to walk home,not just because the power is out (and has been for 2 days),but because of flying debris.It's really dark because of the storm,and you can't dodge what you can't see coming.

This can be hard country to live in.

[joshcryer]

5. My brother is going there the 28th.

Freaking insane.

[Oldenuff]

6. Ongoing..

Local (to me) Barrio officials are warning residents living near the sea,to move to higher ground,as they are expecting high tides (most are poor people living in aforementioned Nipa huts).The river in front or my house is on the rise already.The winds are screaming,and I lost the roof off my utility shed.The wind just tore it off and deposited in the field next to my house,and I don't mess around when I build..Our family nearby has never seen weather like this...ever.

Most people in my area won't sleep tonight.