Philippines braces for floods from tropical storms

MANILA — The Philippines was bracing for possible floods and landslides as a tropical storm continued to strengthen today (July 14) as it moved closer to the country’s eastern seaboard.

Tropical Storm Rammasun was expected to intensify into a typhoon before making landfall tomorrow morning in Albay province, the government’s weather bureau said.

Rammasun was about 500km east of eastern Legazpi city as of this afternoon, packing sustained winds of 110kmh and gusts of up to 140kmh, government weather forecaster Rene Paciente said. It entered Philippine territory yesterday but was still over the sea.

Mr Alexander Pama, executive director of the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council, said the council’s field offices in at least seven regions, including Metropolitan Manila, had been put on alert for landslides and flash floods.

“Our initial assessment is that there is not much on the wind. What we are wary about are landslides, flooding,” Mr Pama said.

Schools suspended classes this afternoon in some areas, including the capital Manila. Local officials urged sea vessels not to sail in the storm’s path, readied relief goods and prepared for the possible evacuation of residents, especially in flood- and landslide-prone areas.

Rammasun’s impact is expected to be felt in metropolitan Manila starting tomorrow morning and will be over the capital by early Wednesday before moving into the South China Sea through either Bataan or Zambales province in the north-west, forecasters said. It is expected to be out of Philippine territory by Thursday, moving toward southern China.

Central Philippine provinces have not yet fully recovered from the massive devastation caused by Typhoon Haiyan last November. Haiyan’s strong winds and tsunami-like storm surges flattened towns, leaving at least 6,300 people dead and more than 1,000 missing. AP