Philippines: evacuated hundreds of thousands due to typhoon emergency

Philippine’s government started moving more than 200,000 people away from their homes in the coastal and mountainous areas because of potential floods and landslides as typhoon “Vongfong” made landfall on Thursday.

Authorities announced they are expecting a disaster to emerge soon, as the strength of the upcoming typhoon seems extreme.

Averagely, 20 typhoons hit annually the Philippines, an archipelago of more than 7,000 islands.

Typhoon Vongfong is forecast to strengthen as it moves toward the Philippines. Image credit CNN

Typhoon Vongfong is the first one to hit the country in 2020, predicted to be crashing into the eastern part of the State packing winds of 155 kph and gusts of up to 190 kph, the Philippines weather bureau declared.

Within the ongoing social distancing measures to limit the spread of the Coronavirus, the situation in the country is getting more and more complicated, as the efforts to move thousands of people into evacuation centres -such as classrooms and school gymnasiums- requires complex security plans and detailed staging.

Provincial disaster officials said they had asked the education department for more schools to be used as temporary shelters for the population to find a safe place to stay.

Up until now, the Philippines has reported more than 11,000 cases of Covid-19, mainly concentrated in the capital Manila, and more than 700 victims.

Authorities are predicting a “category 2 typhoon” with intense rains, heavy landslides, storm surges, and floods.