Typhoon hits Philippines; previous storm kills scores

The Seattle Times ^ | Friday, December 03, 2004, 12:00 A.M. Pacific

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Friday, December 03, 2004, 12:00 A.M. Pacific

"Typhoon hits Philippines; previous storm kills scores"

By Seattle Times news services

MARAGUNDON, Philippines — "A powerful typhoon sliced through the Philippines today, forcing more than 160,000 people to flee their homes to higher ground even as rescuers struggled to find the missing from an earlier storm that killed more than 420 people.

There was an unconfirmed report that more than 1,000 were dead or unaccounted for from the typhoon that hit the Philippines earlier this week. Civil defense officials said at least 422 people were confirmed dead and another 177 missing. The military reported a toll of 479 dead and 560 missing, but regional commander Maj. Gen. Pedro Cabuay cautioned the figures were based on numbers provided by local officials that could not be immediately confirmed.

Mudslides and flash floods caused by the earlier storm have turned entire provinces facing the Pacific Ocean into a sea of chocolate-brown mud littered with bodies, uprooted trees, collapsed homes and bridges.

Survivors sifted through mud, which in some towns was ankle deep, for clothes and belongings. Soldiers, police and medical workers trekked with relief supplies across flood-ravaged roads and bare mountains to reach towns cut off by landslides.

The latest storm, Typhoon Nanmadol, made landfall late yesterday along the northeast coast with sustained winds of up to 115 mph and gusts of up to 138 mph. The typhoon drenched Manila, causing flooding and power outages in the capital..."

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Also see November 30, 2004 thread regarding Tropical Storm days ago causing loss of life from devastating floods in the Philippines:

Philippine Floods Kills Hundreds

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"Death toll from storm in Philippines rises to at least 527, 352 still missing" Canadian Press December 3, 2004 A man stands on top of his submerged house after storms hit Pulilan town, Bulacan province, north of Manila. (AP Photo/Aaron Favila) MANILA, Philippines (AP) - "The Philippine military said Friday rescuers have recovered 484 bodies from landslides and flash floods in an eastern province, bringing the toll from this week's powerful rainstorm to 527 people. At least 352 other people were still missing. The military's Chief of Staff Gen. Efren Abu said 306 people were confirmed dead in Real town, 47 in Infanta and 131 in General Nakar, all in the worst-hit Quezon province, east of Manila. Forty-three others died in five other provinces, according to officials. On Friday, rescuers struggled to reach scores of people left stranded by another powerful typhoon that sliced through the Philippines on the heels of the rainstorm. Typhoon Nanmadol swiped the same storm-hit northeast provinces -Quezon, Aurora, Nueva Ecija, Bulacan, Camarines Norte and Camarines Sur - late Thursday forcing, nearly 170,000 people to flee homes to higher ground."

[Truth666]

And the last time there was a typhoon hit in December was ?

[Moonman62]

Global warming. Bush's fault.

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"Deadly storms leave Philippines reeling." 03/12/2004. ABC News Online (Australian Broadcasting Company)

Last Update: Friday, December 3, 2004. 7:29pm (AEDT)

Filipino villagers carry an injured relative after mudslides in Quezon province. (Reuters)

"Deadly storms leave Philippines reeling"

By South-East Asia correspondent Peter Lloyd

"The number of people killed after a week of fierce storms in the Philippines has risen to more than 750.

Hundreds more are missing in the wake of the latest typhoon which has swept across the main island of Luzon, near the capital Manila.

With Typhoon Nanmandol now heading out to sea, a massive rescue and recovery operation is under way.

Officials say at least 35 people have been killed as the latest typhoon brought heavy rains and winds up to 180 kilometres per hour.

The Philippines Government has declared the worst-hit region, around the township of Real, a state of calamity.

At least 688 bodies have been found and more than 330 residents are officially listed as missing.

Many of the dead have been buried in makeshift graves amid fears of an outbreak of disease.

Typhoon Nanmandol was the fourth storm to hit the country in a week.

Rising floodwaters in several areas are hampering relief operations.

President Gloria Arroyo's Government says it cannot cope with the scale of the disaster and has appealed for international assistance.

Australia has pledged $500,000 to the relief effort, to be divided between the United Nations Development Program, which is coordinating the relief efforts, and the Red Cross..." (End excerpt. Link follows to rest of the story.)

Deadly storms leave Philippines reeling

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From Hindustan Times.com:

Real, Philippines, December 3

Press Trust of India

"Philippine rescuers have recovered 753 bodies following this week's storms in the northeast of the country, and 345 people are still missing, a military spokesman said on Friday.

The latest casualties were caused by Typhoon Nanmadol which passed through the northeast on Thursday. The civil defence office in Manila said the typhoon killed 35 people and left 13 others missing.

Most of the casualties were caused by a tropical storm which swept through the northeastern coast of the main Philippine island of Luzon on Monday."

[Solamente]

I can't decide if I want scrambled eggs or a cheese omelet for breakfast.

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Sioux City Journal: Serving Sioux City, Iowa

A group of evacuees with their children struggle to walk in the mud after a landslide Thursday in the typhoon-ravaged town of Real, east of Manila, Philippines. (AP Photo)

Date posted online: Friday, December 03, 2004
"Philippines battered by another typhoon after storm kills more than 420, leaves possibly hundreds more missing"
MARAGUNDON, Philippines (AP) -- "A powerful typhoon sliced through the Philippines Friday, forcing nearly 170,000 people to flee homes to higher ground even as Filipinos struggled to recover from an earlier storm that killed more than 420 and left possibly hundreds more missing.

Mudslides and flash floods earlier in the week have turned parts of Quezon province and other areas facing the Pacific Ocean into a sea of mud littered with bodies, uprooted trees, collapsed homes and bridges.

"We're getting reports of bodies still flowing in the rivers," said air force spokesman Lt. Col. qu Padilla.

The were conflicting reports on casualties from the earlier storm with police and civil defense authorities providing a confirmed count of 422 dead and 177 missing. The military said there were 479 dead and 560 missing, but regional commander Maj. Gen. Pedro Cabuay cautioned that his figures came from local officials that could not be immediately confirmed.

The latest storm, Typhoon Nanmadol, made landfall late Thursday along the northeast coast with sustained winds of up to 115 mph and gusts of up to 138 mph. The storm roared across the Philippines on Friday, slamming many of the same areas hit by the earlier storm.

Schools and government offices remained closed Friday in Manila and the rest of the country, the presidential office announced. The coast guard prevented ferries, small boats and fishermen from leaving ports, and the air force said the bad weather had basically grounded its rescue fleet.

The typhoon drenched Manila and most of the country, causing flooding on some streets and temporary power outages in the capital.

In coastal Mercedes town, 145 miles southeast of Manila, about 2,000 people moved into a school as heavy rains and strong winds lashed the area. Similar evacuations took place throughout the region, where people took refugee in sturdy buildings.

The Office of Civil Defense reported as many as 168,000 people have been evacuated.

Rough seas and debris forced a navy gunboat to turn around after it tried to bring food and medicine to Real, in Quezon province, the town hardest hit by the previous storm. A landslide there earlier this week killed at least 150, said navy spokesman Capt. Geronimo Malabanan.

Meanwhile, survivors from the earlier storm sifted through piles of mud, which in some towns was ankle deep, for clothes and belongings. Soldiers, police and medical workers trekked with relief supplies across flood-ravaged roads and bare mountains to reach towns cut off by landslides.

In the town of Infanta in Quezon province, east of Manila, where at least 100 died, officials allowed residents to briefly leave evacuation centers to retrieve belongings from damaged homes, but warned them to return because of the typhoon.

"We are not concerned so much about saving property. We just want to save lives," said Infanta Mayor Filipina America.

About 400 troops set out for Real on foot with relief supplies in their backpacks and in boxes perched on their heads, inching along a route blocked by up to 20 landslides, said regional military commander Maj. Gen. Pedro Cabuay.

"They will carry as many supplies as they can," he said.

Television footage showed landslide-hit towns with mud-covered bodies laid out in common areas, where anguished mothers wept for their children. Fathers and brothers, meanwhile, clawed through mud in a desperate search for missing loved ones.

One woman frantically called ABS-CBN television, begging to be rescued from a rooftop.

"All my relatives are dead. I survived because I was able to go to the roof," she said. "My sister is dead, my husband is dead."

The Philippines is hit by about 20 storms and typhoons a year. A typhoon and another storm last week killed at least 87 people and left 80 others missing in the east."

Philippines battered by another typhoon

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Manila Star Online AP reports a 4.2 Magnitude earthquake hitting Northern Philippines today. As of a few minutes ago, this latest quake is not yet listed on either NEIC or the USGS World Earthquake sites.

"Mild earthquake rocks Northern Philippines"

Friday, December 03, 2004

MANILA, Philippines (AP) - "An earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 4.2 rocked the northern Philippines Friday as the region reeled from the effects of a deadly storm and a typhoon, officials said.

No casualties or damage were reported from the tremor.

The earthquake was centered about 120 kilometers (74 miles) southwest of Manila, near Batangas city, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology said.

Typhoon Nanmadol hit the region overnight, after a powerful tropical storm left more than 420 people dead and possibly hundreds more missing.

The Philippines is along the so-called Pacific "Ring of Fire,'' where earthquakes and volcanic activity are common.

A magnitude 7.7 earthquake in 1990 killed nearly 2,000 people on Luzon. - AP "

Mild earthquake rocks Northern Philippines

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From Mercury News.com:

Updated 02:47pm (Mla time) Dec 03, 2004

Agence France-Presse

"BODIES, MUD, TREES COVER SOME TOWNS"

By Pat Roque

Associated Press

MARAGUNDON, Philippines (AP) - "Rescuers scrambled today to reach scores of people left stranded by a powerful typhoon that sliced through the Philippines on the heels of a rainstorm that left more than 400 people dead and possibly hundreds more missing.

Mudslides and flash floods this week have turned entire towns facing the Pacific Ocean into a sea of chocolate-brown mud littered with bodies, uprooted trees, collapsed homes and bridges.

Exact casualty figures were hard to establish immediately as soldiers, police and medical workers trekked with relief supplies across flood-ravaged roads and bare mountains to reach towns cut off by landslides.

``We're getting reports of bodies still flowing in the rivers,'' said air force Lt. Col. Restituto Padilla.

Police and civilian authorities report at least 422 killed and 177 missing from a powerful tropical storm late Monday, while the military said it received reports from local officials saying at least 479 were killed and 560 unaccounted for in only three towns in the worst-hit province, Quezon. Five other provinces also witnessed fatalities.

``I would not say ours is the official count because we have not been counting, we are just quoting people,'' regional military commander Maj. Gen. Pedro Cabuay told the Associated Press, adding that the toll could not be immediately confirmed.

Meanwhile, the Office of Civil Defense reported that eight people died overnight from drowning, electrocution and falling trees when Typhoon Nanmadol hit. As many as 168,000 people have been evacuated, it said..." (End excerpt. Link to the rest of the story)

Hundreds dead, lost in Philippine typhoon

[Strategerist]

And the last time there was a typhoon hit in December was ?

Typhoons in December are routine. Unlike the Atlantic, the Pacific has a basically continuous tropical season, with peaks and valleys but no beginning and end.

Hate to bitterly disappoint your excitement over something I'm sure you were hoping to portray as a sign of the end times.

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From INQ7 Net News:

"753 dead, 345 missing so far from 4 storms--officials"

Updated 02:47pm (Mla time) Dec 03, 2004

Agence France-Presse

REAL, Quezon, Philippines -- "Philippine rescuers have recovered 753 bodies following this week's storms in the northeast of the country, and 345 people are still missing, a military spokesman said Friday.

The latest casualties were caused by typhoon “Yoyong” (international codename: Nanmadol,) which passed through the northeast on Thursday. The civil defense office in Manila said the typhoon killed 35 people and left 13 others missing.

Most of the casualties were caused by a tropical storm, which swept through the northeastern coast of the main Philippine island of Luzon on Monday.

At least 688 bodies have been found in the towns of Real, Infanta and General Nakar, Colonel Jaime Buenaflor, the commander of military forces involved in the rescue attempts, told Agence France-Presse.

He said at least 330 other residents in the three towns were listed as missing.

The civil defense office said at least 30 people had been killed in other parts of the Philippines by Monday's storm."

753 dead, 345 missing so far from 4 storms--officials

[Strategerist]

Unfortunate result of cutting down too many trees in mountainous areas, as in Haiti. Problem will just keep getting worse.

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"President Gloria Arroyo's Government says it cannot cope with the scale of the disaster and has appealed for international assistance."

< Snip > "Philipines Foreign Minister Alberto Romulo ..." < Snip >

"... believes Australia's contribution will prompt further assistance from other countries..."

< Snip>

"That's a great shot in the arm and I think the international community will be encouraged by this and lend also their support."

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That is what Philippines President Gloria Arroyo has been saying these past several days.

Read Post 14: Hello, Washington DC? Philippines calling...

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Ping.

[bd476]

Hi Farmfriend, I'm pinging you to this disaster in the Philippines. President Gloria Arroyo has been blaming the logging industry and its over-cutting too much natural growth.

There have been nearly 1000 people who have perished in the past few days from the Tropical Storm and now Yoyong Typhoon.

[ONETWOONE]

This particular typhoon is heading to us here on Okinawa, but recent reports saying it may be downgraded to a tropical storm.

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The New York Times

International

"500 Are Dead and 400 Missing as Storms Wrack Philippines"

By CARLOS H. CONDE

Published: December 3, 2004

AVAO CITY, The Philippines, Friday, Dec. 3 - " The number of dead or missing totaled nearly 1,000 on Friday from the flash floods and landslides that have devastated a large section of the northern Philippines, rescue officials said.

The disaster began with a storm that slammed into the northeastern Philippines early this week. A second storm swept the country on Thursday, hampering search and rescue efforts from the first.

The military confirmed that 492 people had died as of Thursday night, most of them from three coastal towns in Quezon Province in the east, while about 400 others were missing, Agence France-Presse reported.

Thursday's storm, packing winds of 130 miles an hour, was the fourth to hit the Philippines in two weeks.

In Manila, the capital, the storm brought heavy rains that inundated flood-prone areas. Alert levels were raised and evacuation centers were established in most of the provinces of the main island of Luzon. The Coast Guard restricted shipping and airlines canceled flights.

The storm delayed for 10 hours a ship carrying 600 passengers, causing panic among relatives, some of whom spread the rumor that the ship might have sunk. Hundreds of seafarers were stuck in ports in the north as the storm worsened.

President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, who visited one devastated town on Thursday, lent her four helicopters to the rescue efforts after winds grounded military aircraft.

In Real, east of Manila, volunteers used their hands to dig out buried houses and extricate the dead. President Arroyo's press secretary, Ignacio Bunye, said the government had adequate contingency measures. He appealed to the public to help displaced people. "This is a time for every capable Filipino to chip in to serve the less fortunate," he said.

Some countries and nongovernment groups have started aiding storm victims. The United States government is donating $100,000 to the Philippine National Red Cross, the government announced. Some European countries, notably Germany, have pledged support.

Mrs. Arroyo blamed illegal logging for the severity of the landslides and flash floods that have resulted from the storms. She ordered a crackdown on illegal loggers, assigning a former intelligence chief of the military to lead the effort.

Environmentalists said all logging, legal or not, had contributed to the denuding of the country's forest, of which only 13 percent remains.

About 20 typhoons and other storms occur every year in the Philippines. In 1991, a storm caused huge landslides in Ormoc in the central Philippines, burying communities and killing more than 7,000 people.

Since then, environmentalists have warned the government that similar disasters could occur if logging continued. Government efforts to regulate logging have been ineffective. Illegal logging has continued, often with the complicity of corrupt environment officials and law enforcers. "

500 Are Dead and 400 Missing

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There is a report that it has weakened, although ships are still being warned to take caution.

One ship carrying 600 passengers was delayed 10 hours, causing some panic among family and friends.