Philippines, already reeling, struck with strong typhoon

MANILA — A strong typhoon slammed into the eastern Philippines on Thursday, knocking out power and threatening food crops in a new emergency for a country already overwhelmed by the coronavirus pandemic.

Typhoon Vongfong blew into Eastern Samar province at noon with fierce rain and wind as tens of thousands of people were being evacuated to safety in provinces along its northwestward path through the country’s most populous region. There were no immediate reports of casualties or major damage.

After landfall, the storm maintained its maximum sustained winds of about 96 mph but its gusts intensified to 158 mph, weather agency administrator Vicente Malano said.

The typhoon hit as the Philippines struggles to deal with coronavirus outbreaks, largely with a lockdown in the main northern region of Luzon that is to be eased this weekend, except in metropolitan Manila and two other highrisk areas. The rest of the country will be placed in less restrictive quarantines, and crucial businesses will partially reopen starting next week after the economy contracted in the first quarter.

More than 11,600 coronavirus infections, including 772 deaths, have been reported in the country.

“This is a double whammy,” Eastern Samar Gov. Ben Evardone said by telephone. “Psychologically, the people are already struggling with COVID and now we have this typhoon.”

Overcrowding in emergency shelters has been common in the archipelago that is lashed by about 20 typhoons and storms annually and is often hit by volcanic eruptions and earthquakes.