A typhoon that swept across remote villages and popular tourist areas of the central Philippines on Christmas Day claimed at least 28 lives, authorities said Thursday. Typhoon Phanfone, with winds of 195 kilometres (120 miles) an hour, tore roofs off houses and toppled electric polls as it cuts across the Philippines on Wednesday.
Phanfone also hit Boracay, Coron and other holiday destinations that are known for their white-sand beaches and liked by foreign tourists. More than 58,000 people were evacuated from their homes before the storm arrived, causing widespread property damage.
Scores of flights were cancelled, with more than 15,000 people also left stranded at ports when ferries were suspended. The deaths occurred in the central provinces of Capiz, Iloilo and Leyte.
The typhoon left the Philippines on Wednesday night and was out over the South China Sea, moving towards west.
Phanfone has been described as a younger sibling of Super Typhoon Haiyan, which is the country’s deadliest storm on record. Haiyan struck the country in 2013, leaving over 7,300 people dead or missing. The Philippines experiences about 20 major storms a year, many of which are deadly, and which have been becoming fiercer in recent years.
A July 2019 study by the Manila-based Asian Development Bank said the more frequent storms lop 1 percent off the Philippine economic output, while the stronger ones cut output by nearly 3 percent.
A typhoon is a region-specific term given to a type of tropical cyclone, usually occurring within the northwestern region of the Pacific Ocean, west of the International Date Line. These same systems in other regions are referred to as either hurricanes, or more generally, tropical cyclones.
According to a study, high winds push the surface of the waters ahead of the system on the right side of its path and cause over 85 percent of the Typhoon’s surge. Typhoon season is typically between late June until sometime during the month of December.
Typhoons and heavy rains may cause flooding which, in turn, can potentially increase the transmission of communicable diseases. These include water-borne diseases (e.g., typhoid fever, cholera, leptospirosis, and hepatitis A); and vector-borne diseases (e.g., malaria and dengue). Climate change affects the increase in the intensity of typhoons in the region.
If you are resident of a Typhoon prone area, tune into the radio or TV, or log on to the Internet, for regular updates on the weather to protect yourself, your family, your neighbours and your properties etc. Have an emergency kit ready. Fill a watertight box/container with canned goods, soda crackers, bottled water, and other ready-to-eat, non-perishable food items. Include a flashlight with extra batteries, transmitter radio with battery, mobile phone, blanket, and clothing, which means prepare a survival kit to carry during the Typhoons.
Watch out for falling debris (roof tiles, signs, GI sheets, tree branches, etc.) When inside the house or building, do not stay near the windows and watch out for broken glass. Unplug all electrical appliances. Do not get close to the riverbank or seashore.
During floods, evacuate and move to a higher grounds. Secure children on a higher ground or on a flotation device. Wear a protective head gear or helmet while evacuating. Use a rope to secure yourself.Carry the elderly or sick on your back. Watch out for open manholes or side ditches. Use a stick to check the safety around your feet when walking on flooded areas. If you are in the United States of America call for Help at Emergency line: 911 or if you are in India call at 100 or if you live in other countries call the number provided to you by the authorities of your coutnry.
These natural disasters cause great loss to human life and also to the natural environment.
The countries that are prone these storms or typhoons need to maintain cautionary drills for an uncertain event like such.
Rescue works started after the Typhoons injured are taken to the nearby medical facilities and food and other needful services are rendered to the victims of this huge storm.
