Cleanup Begins in Parts of Philippines as Typhoon Hagupit Heads Northwest

Cleanup Begins in Parts of Philippines as Typhoon Hagupit Heads Northwest

Typhoon Hagupit Tipped to be Near Metropolitan Manila by Monday

By Cris Larano in the Wall Street Journal

Public-works crews and soldiers began clearing debris from roads and airports in the Philippines’ central east Sunday, cleaning up behind Typhoon Hagupit as it began a northwesterly journey.

“We are clearing avenues to help us deliver relief supplies,” said Defense Undersecretary Alexander Pama, who is also executive director of the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council. “Help will arrive if not today, then in the coming days,” he said.

It was too early to assess damage to Dolores, where the typhoon first struck late Saturday, and other towns in Eastern Samar. No casualties have been reported.

Trees are down, as are power lines, officials say. Streets have been turned into rivers by the strongest storm to make landfall since last year’s Haiyan, which left more than 6,300 dead. Hundreds of thousands of families remain in shelters.

Known locally as Ruby, Hagupit slammed into Eastern Samar, with winds of 175 kilometers an hour near the center.

The Philippine weather bureau, Pagasa, said the typhoon—pronounced ‘’Ha-goo-pit’’—lost some of its strength Sunday after passing over Masbate Island. Its maximum sustained wind is now down to 140 kilometers an hour.

But it is still moving slowly at 15 kilometers an hour. Typhoons usually move at speeds of 20 kilometers an hour—Haiyan moved at up to 40 kilometers an hour.

Hagupit’s sluggish pace gives more time for its heavy rains to cause floods and landslides, as well as its fierce winds to topple trees and damage homes.

The storm is tipped to be closest to metropolitan Manila about noon Monday, when it is expected to have weakened further because of additional landfalls it will have made Sunday. Some schools were announcing they were suspending classes for Monday in the Manila area.

The typhoon is now expected to leave the Philippines early Wednesday, having slowed a bit.

The airport in Catarman, in the northern part of Samar Island, is now being cleared of debris to accommodate arrivals of C-130 military cargo planes, said Lt. Gen. Gregorio Catapang, chief of staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines. He added that the government is considering help from 11 foreign nations, including China.

Churches and schools took in thousands of people in the path of typhoon Hagupit as it made landfall in the Philippines. WSJ’s Ramy Inocencio reports from Legaspi City in the storm's track.

Meantime, Department of Social Welfare assistant secretary Vilma Cabrera said 20 trucks were ready to deliver relief goods in Samar Island.

Doods Marianito of the Disaster Risk Reduction office of Sorsogon City—at the southern tip of the main Philippine island of Luzon—told The Wall Street Journal that their initial assessment showed no substantial damage to the city, although it has been without electricity since Friday.

He said the main highway that passes through the city, and on to the main port in Matnog, isn't passable to light vehicles because of floods caused by rains from Hagupit.

Matnog provides the sea link from the main island of Luzon to Samar Island. The port has been closed since Wednesday, backing up traffic including buses and trucks that normally use the ferries between Sorsogon and Samar.

Mr. Marianito said hundreds of trucks and buses were stuck in Sorsogon during the storm. He said many passengers had to ride out the storm inside the buses and trucks.

“I could only imagine the fear they have gone through during the storm,” said Mr. Marianito. 

Poster’s comments:

1)       Post storm cleanup in the Philippines was/is different in the Philippines and the new world USA. At least the meaning and long term impact is often different.

2)      I personally started carrying ammunition for my pistol when going through storm devastated areas in the Philippines circa 1972. People were getting killed by gunfire (usually from bandits) back then.

3)      The literally hungry eyes of the storm victims said a lot, at least to me. Few of these people could expect government help in a timely manner, if at all.