Typhoon Utor roared into the Philippines on Monday killing at least two. Officials say at least 44 people have been reported missing.
The storm is reported as the strongest this year; it came ashore in the eastern Aurora province with sustained winds of 109 m.p.h. and gusts over 130 m.p.h. Continue reading
A group of hikers climbing Mount Mayon in the Philippines Mayon Volcano National Park engulfed in an ash cloud when the volcano unexpectedly erupted on Tuesday.
Five people have been confirmed dead and at least seven were injured, several in critical condition at a local hospital. Continue reading
Officials in the Philippines have confirmed 325 people dead from Typhoon Bopha with the number expected to rise as emergency personnel reach more villages.
In addition to the dead, over 375 have been reported missing and officials estimate a number of those will be found dead. Continue reading
Typhoon Bopha’s death toll is rapidly climbing as Philipino officials start to reach areas of the country cut off by flooding and mudslides.
One small province in the eastern part of the country has reported at least 156 dead. Over 43 died in one village when a mudslide buried a school and village hall that served as a evacuation center.
The province along the coastline where the storm made landfall has reported 50 dead with many small villages still inaccessible to rescue personnel.
Governor Arturo Uy told the BBC that the storm has caused catastrophic damage to the region’s food supplies. In the areas they have been able to access, Uy estimated up to 80% of the crops were destroyed…most of them bananas marked for export. The exports bring the majority of income for the region.
The town of Cateel had more than 95% of their buildings completely destroyed by the storm.
Typhoon Bopha slammed into the Philippines with wind gusts of 130 m.p.h. destroying homes, flooding towns and causing lethal mudslides.
At least 43 are dead and 25 reported injured in the village of Andap according to local news sources. A “torrent of water” rushed down a bordering mountain and swept through the town. The regional governor said some of the dead and wounded are villagers who sheltered in the village hall only to have the facility destroyed by the flood waters. Continue reading
Over half a dozen earthquakes struck off the coast of the Philippines on Friday triggering a tsunami alert.
A 7.6 magnitude earthquake just 21.6 miles underneath the ocean floor triggered the tsunami 60 miles east of Sulangan at 8:47pm local time. The major quake was followed by a series of seven lesser quakes (5.5, 5.4, 5.1, 4.8, 5.4, 4.9, 5.0) in a two hour span. Continue reading
Heavy rain caused in part by Tropical Storm Haikui has resulted in half of the Philippine capital to be covered in water. The flooding, neck-deep in some places, has virtually paralyzed the city.
Tens of thousands have been evacuated because of the flooding which is expected to get worse due to 24 straight hours of rain. At least nine people are reported dead from the flooding in Manila with reports of dozens of others in surrounding villages. Nine members of one family in Quezon City died when a landslide buried his face. Continue reading
