Villagers in northern Philippine provinces were forced to evacuate on Wednesday as a powerful typhoon, Kong-rey, approached the nation still reeling from a recent storm that left at least 182 dead and missing, The Associated Press reports.
Kong-rey, packing sustained winds of up to 115 mph and gusts up to 143 mph, was last tracked 217 miles east of northern Cagayan province. Forecasters warned that the typhoon could further strengthen at sea.
The typhoon is expected to pass near the northernmost Philippine province of Batanes before slamming into southeastern Taiwan on Thursday.
“We are still recovering from the two previous typhoon and storm and here we go again,” said Batanes Governor Marilou Cayco. “We’re going around now to supervise the forced evacuation of people, especially those whose houses were severely damaged by the last storm.”
Adding to the woes, over 300,000 people displaced by Tropical Storm Trami last week remain in emergency shelters as the new typhoon approaches. Forecasters also warned of a “life-threatening storm surge reaching 2 to 3 meters (6.5 to 9.8 feet)” that could be whipped up by Kong-rey in low-lying coasts of Batanes and the nearby Babuyan cluster of islands.
All ships and cargo vessels were advised to remain in ports, while those at sea were urged to seek shelter or safe harbor until winds and waves subside.
Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. ordered the forced evacuation of people in high-risk areas threatened by Kong-rey, which is locally called Leon.
“We always aim for zero casualty in the event of disasters, so we strongly urge the public to heed our protocols,” Teodoro said.
While Kong-rey is expected to blow off the northern Philippines, its extensive rain band, spanning over 373 miles, could lash the entire main northern region of Luzon, the country’s most populous.
Tropical storm Trami, which blew out of the northern Philippines last Friday, left at least 145 dead and 37 missing, mostly due to widespread flooding and landslides. The storm affected over 7 million people in nearly 11,000 villages, primarily rural.
More than 111,000 houses were damaged, many inundated by floods and swollen rivers. Trami dumped up to two months’ worth of rain in just 24 hours in some regions, triggering flash floods that swept away cars and trapped people on their roofs.
At the height of last week’s onslaught, officials in the hard-hit region of Bicol, southeast of Manila, appealed frantically for more rescue boats to save thousands of villagers trapped in rising floodwaters.
The Philippines experiences an average of 20 storms and typhoons annually. In 2013, Typhoon Haiyan, one of the strongest recorded tropical cyclones in the world, left more than 7,300 people dead or missing, flattening entire villages and causing several cargo ships to run aground inland.
