Japan braces for a third powerful storm in a week

By Tiffany Ap, CNN

Updated 0150 GMT (0950 HKT) August 30, 2016

(CNN)Just a week after Typhoons Mindulle and Kompasu pummeled Japan, the country is bracing for
another storm to slam into its eastern shore.

Currently roaring over the western Pacific towards Iwate province , Typhoon Lionrock is moving
northeast at 30 kilometers (19 miles) an hour.

CNN meteorologist Chad Myers said the storm was expected to make landfall at about 5pm local time
(4am ET), with wind speeds of up to 120 kilometer per hour (75 miles per hour).

He added that cooler waters had weakened the typhoon.

"(I'd expect) higher gusts on mountain tops but nothing devastating," he said. "Storm surge could be
three to five meters in some harbors."

Lionrock will bring heavy rain to Japan's northeast provinces, but will miss Tokyo rather than hit the
capital directly, as initially expected.

It is forecasted to weaken into a tropical storm by late Tuesday evening, local time.

One killed, planes grounded as 2 severe storms roar across Japan

Japan's Meteorological Agency has issued an advisory warning of high waves and thunderstorms all up
its eastern coast.
Super Typhoon Haiyan, one of strongest storms ever, hits central Philippines
By Jethro Mullen, CNN
Updated 3:44 AM EST, Fri November 8, 2013

(CNN) -- With 25 million people in its path, Super Typhoon Haiyan -- one of the strongest storms
recorded on the planet -- smashed into the Philippines on Friday morning.

As the storm plowed across the cluster of islands in the heart of the country, casualties were reported,
more than 100,000 people took shelter in evacuation centers and hundreds of flights were canceled.

The storm brought tremendously powerful winds roaring ashore as it made landfall in the province of
Eastern Visayas, disrupting communications with a major city in its path.

With sustained winds of 315 kph (195 mph) and gusts as strong as 380 kph (235 mph), Haiyan was
probably the strongest tropical cyclone to hit land anywhere in the world in recorded history. It will take
further analysis after the storm passes to establish whether it is a record.

As the monster storm spun toward the Philippines on Thursday, President Benigno S. Aquino III warned
the nation that it faced a "calamity."

Category 5 strength
Haiyan, known in the Philippines as Yolanda, appeared to retain much of its terrifying force as it moved
west over the country, with sustained winds of 295 kph, gusts as strong as 360 kph. Haiyan's wind
strength makes it equivalent to a Category 5 hurricane.

Video footage from on the ground in the Philippines showed howling winds bending palm trees and
whipping debris down deserted streets.

Gov. Roger Mercado of Southern Leyte, a province in Eastern Visayas, said Friday morning that "all
roads" were impassable because of fallen trees.

He said it was too soon to gauge the level of devastation caused by Haiyan.

"We don't know the extent of the damage," Mercaod said. "We are trying to estimate this. We are
prepared, but this is really a wallop."

The typhoon was forecast to churn across the central Philippines during Friday and part of Saturday
before exiting into the South China Sea.

The storm is expected to weaken slightly as it moves across land, but forecasters predict that it will
maintain super typhoon intensity throughout its passage over the islands.

A super typhoon has surface winds that sustain speeds of more than 240 kph for at least a minute,
according to the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

Haiyan is so large in diameter that clouds from it are affecting two-thirds of the country, which stretches
more than 1,850 kilometers (1,150 miles). Tropical-storm-force winds are extending 240 kilometers from
the typhoon's center.
'Very real danger'
The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council said Friday that one person had been
confirmed dead as a result of the storm in the eastern province of Surigao del Sur.

Authorities in Cebu said they were unable to establish whether a woman who was hit by a falling
coconut tree in the north of the province was dead or injured. Neil Sanchez, a provincial disaster
management official, said authorities had lost contact with the town where the incident happened.

On Thursday morning, a day before the storm arrived, a 1-year-old child and another person died after
they were hit by debris from a tornado in the southern province of Cotabato, authorities said. It was
unclear whether the tornado was related to the approaching typhoon.

Ahead of the typhoon's arrival, thousands of people had been relocated away from particularly
vulnerable areas in Tacloban City, which is situated in a coastal area of the region that bore the initial
brunt of the storm.

Communications with Tacloban, which has a population of around 200,000, were disrupted after the
typhoon struck.

Video aired by CNN affiliate ABS-CBN showed streets in the city flooded with water and debris.

In a speech Thursday, Aquino warned residents of the "calamity our countrymen will face in these
coming days."

"Let me repeat myself: This is a very real danger, and we can mitigate and lessen its effects if we use the
information available to prepare," he said.

Authorities have aircraft ready to respond, and officials have placed relief supplies in the areas that are
expected to get hit, Aquino said.

"The effects of this storm can be eased through solidarity," he said.

Earthquake survivors vulnerable

Authorities have warned dozens of provinces across the country to be prepared for possible flash floods
and landslides. About 125,000 people nationwide were moved to evacuation centers

Some of the most vulnerable people are those living in temporary shelters on the central Philippine
island of Bohol.

Last month, a 7.1-magnitude earthquake hit the island, which lies close to the typhoon's predicted path.
The quake killed at least 222 people, injured nearly 1,000 and displaced about 350,000, according to
authorities.

"This has been a quake hit area, for the past three weeks people are still experiencing aftershocks," said
Aaron Aspi, a communications specialist in Bohol for the charity World Vision. "and at the same time
these rains are giving them a really hard time."
"Most of them are advised to evacuate to sturdy structures," he said. "But there are a few thousand
displaced families in quake hit areas that are still staying in makeshift tents and now that the super
typhoon is here it is really heart breaking to see them struggling."

Aspi said many peoples' tents are drenched but they still too afraid to relocate to enclosed structures
because of the aftershocks.

Beach resort threatened

Another island in the storm's likely trajectory is the popular beach resort of Boracay. Some tourists there
were cutting their vacations short to get away from the possible danger.

Ross Evans, an aviation professional from Florida, said there was "a definite urgency and panic" among
the long lines of holidaymakers waiting for boats to get off Boracay on Thursday.

Speaking by phone before his flight to Manila took off, he said he felt "horrible" for those who may end
up stuck in the storm's path.

Evans said he and his travel companions, who are leaving the Philippines two days earlier than planned,
"feel very fortunate to have the ability to make arrangements to be safe."
Situated near an area of the Pacific Ocean where tropical cyclones form, the Philippines regularly suffers
severe storm damage.

An average of 20 typhoons hit the archipelagic nation every year, and several of those cause serious
damage.

In December, Typhoon Bopha wreaked widespread devastation on the southern Philippine island of
Mindanao. The storm, the most powerful to hit the country that year, is estimated to have killed as
many as 1,900 people.
Storm 'Ondoy' makes landfall, causes widespread flooding
Published September 26, 2009 11:37am

(Updated 4:51 p.m.) Thousands of people fled their homes Saturday as overnight rains brought by
tropical storm "Ondoy" caused flooding in wide areas of metropolitan Manila and other provinces of the
northern Philippines.

Swollen creeks forced many residents in some communities on to the roofs of their homes and they
were calling for help to evacuate, according to local radio reports.

Television news footage showed one flooded road in suburban Quezon City appearing like a raging river.
The storm intensified the seasonal monsoon, drenching much of the main island of Luzon where Manila
is located, weathermen said.

Most-affected by floods were low-lying areas of the national capital and parts of nearby Rizal province,
where at least four children were reported to have been swept away by a swollen creek.

The National Disaster Coordinating Center (NDCC) office for the Southern Tagalog Region said the still
unidentified victims were from barangay San Jose in Antipolo City.

A 49-year-old man named Eyo Cadang died of cardiac arrest at about 11 a.m. as floods began to
inundate his home in Paete town of Laguna province.

"Paglakas ng hangin at ulan at pagtaas ng tubig sa kanilang lugar, 'yun siguro ang nag-trigger ng
kanyang cardiac arrest (Perhaps his cardiac arrest was triggered when the winds and the rains
intensified and flood waters rose)," engineer Jensorel Hazareno of the Laguna Provincial Disaster
Coordinating Council told GMANews.TV by phone.

As of 2 p.m. at least 1,813 people in Metro Manila and Southern Luzon were evacuated from their
homes due to floods, according to the NDCC in its 2 p.m. report. [See: NDCC: 1,813 evacuated from
Metro Manila, Rizal]

Of the 363 families or 1,813 people evacuated, 260 families or 1,300 were from San Mateo town.

At least 25 villages in Marilao, Meycauayan, San Miguel and Bocaue in Bulacan were also flooded, with
floodwaters reaching up to waist-high.

In Metro Manila, at least 33 villages in Marikina, Malabon, Muntinlupa, Quezon, Makati, Pasay, Pasig,
Valenzuela and San Juan Cities were also flooded.

Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr., national chairman of the NDCC, said he himself was forced to
use the Metro Rail Transit (MRT) on his way to office in Camp Aguinaldo, Quezon City, from Pasay City
because there was no passable road.

"This kind of flash floods in Metro Manila took us all by surprise," he said, adding that flooding was also
reported in Bulacan and Pampanga provinces north of Manila.

In an interview with GMA News, he urged motorists to stay home to avoid getting caught in the floods.
He also called on the MRT and Light Rail Transit (LRT) authorities not to stop their operations for the
benefit of stranded commuters.

Ondoy (international code name Ketsana), packing maximum winds of 85 kph near the center and
gustiness of up to 100 kph, slammed into the eastern side of Luzon Island from the Pacific Ocean before
noon Saturday.

It was crossing Central Luzon and was expected to be 230 km west-northwest of Iba, Zambales by
Sunday morning as it continues to move into the South China Sea.

At least 12 areas in Luzon were placed under Storm Signal No. 2 as Ondoy made landfall near the
boundary of Aurora and Quezon provinces.

A dozen flights in and out of central and northern Philippines were canceled because of poor visibility,
airport officials said. Power distributor Meralco cut off electric services to some flooded areas in
metropolitan Manila to prevent accidents, spokesman Joel Zaldarriaga said.

Hundreds of vehicles stalled in flooded streets around the capital and nearly 2,000 passengers and more
than 150 vehicles were stranded in ports in several provinces south of Manila after the coast guard
suspended ferry operations.

Weather forecasters advised those living along the coast under Signal No. 2 to be on alert against big
waves generated by the storm.

Although Metro Manila was only under Storm Signal No. 1, many places were reported to be heavily
flooded, leaving thousands of motorists and commuters stranded.

A resident of Kamias Street in Quezon City called GMANews.TV to say that floods have reached chest
level in the area and many residents were stranded.

"We are flooded here! We have no second floor. Nalulunod na kami dito (We're drowning already),"
Leah Centeno said.

Many vehicles were stranded in front of Camp Aguinaldo, the military headquarters in Quezon City, as
floodwaters had risen above chest level and visibility was almost zero.

Henry Cabural, one of 30 passengers of a stranded provincial bus, told GMANews.TV in a phone
interview that they opted to stay inside as flood waters already entered the driver's area and was rising.

"Kanina pa kami dito. Wala nang makadaan. Yung maliliit na kotse bubong na lang ang nakikita (We've
been here for a long time. No one can pass through anymore. Only the top of small cars are visible),"
Cabural said.

A report of the government's National Disaster Coordinating Council (NDCC) said that at least 493
people in Metro Manila were evacuated while 260 families in Rizal were affected by flooding.

It also noted power interruption in parts of Labo town in Camarines Norte due to fallen trees.
Some 1,806 passengers, 120 trucks, 27 small cars, two passenger buses, 15 vessels and six bancas were
stranded in Batangas, Calapan, Puerto Real, Tamban, Virac, Tabaco and Pasacao ports, according to the
inter-agency task force.

The NDCC said many roads in Malabon, Quezon, Marikina, Valenzuela, Pasay, and Muntinlupa Cities in
Metro Manila were not passable due to floods.

Roads in Malabon rendered impassable included C-4 Letre, Tenejeros, M.H. del Pilar, Panghulo Road,
Catmon and Dampalit. Those in Quezon City included E. Rodriguez corner Araneta Avenue.

Also impassable were M.H. del Pilar in front of Pio Elementary School in Palasan, Valenzuela City; and
Barangays 180, 185 and 187 in Pasay City.

Floods in Pasay City were knee-deep, the NDCC report said.

In Pasig City, 20 families or 100 people in Santolan village were evacuated to Santolan Elementary
School.

In Marikina City, 75 families or 373 people were evacuated to Malanday Elementary School. Malanday
village was not passable to all types of vehicles due to flooding, one meter deep.

In Muntinlupa City, four families or 20 people were evacuated to the village's covered court.

In Rizal province, 260 families in Banaba and Sta. Ana village in San Mateo town were affected due to
the flooding.

Meanwhile, a landslide occurred in Sangay town in Camarines Sur at 5 p.m. Friday, but no damage or
casualty was reported. - GMANews.TV
Habagat dumps rain in Luzon as Typhoon ‘Helen’ leaves
By: Frances Mangosing - Reporter / @FMangosingINQ
INQUIRER.net / 06:47 AM September 28, 2016

All storm signals in the country have been lifted as Typhoon Helen (international name Megi) left the
Philippine area of responsibility early Wednesday, but monsoon rain persisted in many parts of Luzon,
the Visayas and Mindanao.

The typhoon was last spotted 515 kilometers north-northeast of Basco, Batanes, the Philippine
Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) said.

Sea travel remained risky over the northern seaboards of Northern Luzon.

Helen made landfall over Taiwan on Tuesday afternoon, but it will still enhance the southwest monsoon
in the Philippines.

The typhoon packed maximum sustained winds of 130 kph near the center and gustiness of up to 200
kph. It continued to move west northwest at 19 kph.

At 4 a.m., Pagasa issued a heavy rainfall warning or Yellow warning over Metro Manila and nearby
provinces due to the southwest monsoon enhanced by Helen.

MetroManila, Bulacan, Bataan, Rizal and Cavite will experience rains in the next three hours from 5:30
a.m.

Light to moderate rain with occasional heavy rain are affecting #Quezon (General Nakar), Laguna,
Batangas, Zambales and Pampanga and may persist for two to three hours.

Expect light to moderate rain over Tarlac, Nueva Ecija and other areas of Quezon within the next two
hours, Pagasa said. CBB
Philippines: Typhoon Frank leaves P1.6-B damages in Western Visayas infra, agri
Iloilo City (26 June) -- The damages caused by cyclone "Frank" to the infrastructure and agriculture in
Western Visayas are now placed at P1,606,710,000 according to the Regional Disaster coordinating
Council 6 (RDCC 6).

As of 11:30 P.M. of June 24, based on the RDCC 6 consolidated report, the damage to agriculture in the
region amounted to P1.087 billion while in infrastructure P519.71 million.

Among the 6 provinces in the region, Iloilo was badly hit in agriculture having P612 million in damages,
followed by Capiz with P229.5 million, Antique P116.4 million, Aklan P88.4 million, Guimaras P26.1
million and Negros Occidental P 8 million. The city of Iloilo has also incurred P7 million worth of
damages in its agriculture.

In infrastructure, the reported damage in the province of Aklan has now reached P325 million, Antique,
P120 million, Capiz P34.225 million, Iloilo P20.98 million and Iloilo City P19.5 million.

The same report indicated that casualties rose to 257 while missing persons, 220 and injured, 302.
Around 337,425 families are affected composed of 1,590,196 persons in some 2,219 barangays and
prompted the evacuation of 52,403 families in 643 evacuation centers in the different areas of the
region.

Also, RDCC 6 reported that the National Food Authority (NFA) has already released 4,350 sacks of rice as
augmentation of relief operations from the National Disaster Coordinating Council (NDCC).

The rice have been released to the provincial disaster coordinating councils (PDCC) of Aklan, Antique,
Capiz and Iloilo, the Iloilo City Coordinating Council and the 5 congressional districts of Iloilo.

Iloilo PDCC got the largest volume of rice at 1,000 sacks, followed by PDCCs of Aklan, Antique, Capiz with
500 sacks each. The 2nd and 3rd congressional districts of Iloilo were also granted with 500 sacks each,
Iloilo DCC with 250 sacks and the 1st, 4th and 5th districts of Iloilo with 200 sacks.

In her third videoconference with her Cabinet members and the NDCC from the United States this
morning, President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo has ordered the Department of Agriculture and the NFA to
flood with rice all areas affected by cyclone Frank and to apprehend rice dealers over pricing and taking
advantage of the situation. (PIA)