Typhoon Mirinae roared into the Philippines
For the past five weeks the Philippines have been in the news frequently. Unfortunately, it is all due to the extraordinary number of typhoons in the area along with the death toll, suffering and damage caused to the nation and its people.
Last week the typhoon-battered nation once again braced itself for another typhoon. It was Typhoon Lupit, the third typhoon in less than a month. It had been projected to make landfall in Cagayan on October 22, but it weakened and stalled in the Philippine Sea. Finally, on Saturday, October 24, Typhoon Lupit had turned northward and didn’t made landfall in the Philippines after days of heavy rainfall.
This is a new week and for the Philippines a new typhoon. Typhoon Mirinae has strengthened over the Pacific and bore down on the main island of Luzon, where the two previous typhoons, Typhoon Ketsana and Typhoon Parma had left a trail of destruction which included more than 860 deaths due mainly to mudslides and flooding and heavy damages to crops. With part of Manila still under flood waters, relief workers are now battling diseases caused by waterborne bacteria. Not surprisingly, the Philippine government had come into harsh criticism for its handling of the two previous typhoons–before, during and after.
More than 121,000 people remain in evacuation centers. Foreign nations have donated money and supplies to help the victims. The UN has sent in medical teams to help fight waterborne diseases.
Nathaniel A. Cruz, Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical & Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) chief weather forecaster, said Typhoon Mirinae is likely to become a super typhoon as it is now packing winds of 160 kilometers per hour (kph). The storm is expected to make landfall after midnight October 31.
This presents a special challenge to Philippine officials because All Saints’ Day is when Filipinos visit cemeteries to remember their ancestors. People will travel by boats and whatever means to return to their home provinces for the observance.
The coast guards are sending rescue divers to the eastern coast of Luzon where Typhoon Mirinae is forecast to make landfall and also to areas on the western coast of the island where the typhoon is forecast to exit.
Reuters reported nearly 150 army trucks loaded with food, water and relief supplies are heading towards the area. Government officials are evacuating people in areas that are in danger of landslides.
Typhoon Mirinae came ashore on Saturday, October 31. It uprooted trees and toppled power lines, but there were no immediate reports of widespread damage. There were service disruptions as about 180 flights from Manila, some ferry and bus services were canceled, which stranded thousands of people returning to their home provinces for the All Saints’ Day weekend.
On November 1, CNN reported Typhoon Mirinae caused 14 fatalities and 4 people are reported missing.
Here is video by typhoon chasers James Reynolds and Jim Edds as they documented the storm surge and flooding near Laguna de Bay (Oct 31/09) – “Typhoon Mirinae / Santi Roars Passed Manila, Philippines.”
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