Superstorm makes landfall in Philippines
MANILA, Philippines — A powerful typhoon slammed the northern Philippines early Saturday with an intensity not seen since Typhoon Haiyan ravaged the center of the country in 2013, killing more than 6,000 people.
Heavy rainfall and whipping winds were reported on the island’s eastern coast as Super Typhoon Mangkhut, the equivalent of a Category 5 hurricane, made landfall on the nation’s largest island, Luzon, at 1:40 a.m. local time.
Power outages afflicted several areas.
The maximum sustained wind speed of the typhoon slowed to about 120 mph as it reached Luzon’s shores, the national weather service of the Philippines reported, but the storm maintained its power to destroy, with gusts reaching as high as 200 mph.
Thousands of people had evacuated their homes and stockpiled emergency supplies in frantic preparation for the possibility of a major disaster.
The new storm hit a less densely populated, less vulnerable area than the one plundered by Haiyan. Still, government officials pleaded with vulnerable residents to move to shelters before the storm, fearing drenching rains and devastating mudslides along the island’s mountainous coastlines.
Luzon is the Philippines’ most populous island, but the northern tip is largely agricultural. More than 4 million people live in the area.
Officials warned of severe flooding and extremely high winds, with rainfall of as much as 6 to 10 inches in certain areas. Mindful of the chaos that followed Haiyan, the government deployed emergency teams, communications systems and supplies to the threatened area.
Storm surges as high as 20 feet were expected, and officials warned fishermen and owners of small boats against taking out their craft.
Manila to the south was hit by heavy rain and strong winds, with flooding of roads in some areas, but by early morning there were no reports of casualties or major damage.