Thousands flee as typhoon hits north Philippines

More than 1,680 people in Cagayan were evacuated from coastal villages before the storm hit late Sunday.

Residents along Manila Bay play in the waves created by the approachingTyphoon Noul yesterday. The Philippines government has suspended ferry services in affected areas and some domestic flights have also been cancelled. Jay Directo / AFPShow less

MANILA // Typhoon Noul slammed into the northern tip of the Philippines on Sunday, triggering warnings of possible flash floods, landslides and storm surges and prompting almost 3,000 people to flee their homes.

The storm hit Cagayan province late Sunday afternoon and was expected to move north towards Japan, the government weather station said.

The civil defence office said there were no immediate reports of storm-related deaths but the typhoon knocked out power in much of the province, making it difficult to get data.

In Taiwan, which is also in the storm’s predicted path, authorities warned sailors of strong winds and high waves and transferred almost 1,000 tourists from an island off the south-east coast.

“This is a very dangerous storm. It is the strongest so far this year,” said Rene Paciente, head of the marine weather division.

Esperanza Cayanan, chief of the government’s weather monitoring division Cayanan, said the northern Philippine province of Cagayan was expected to feel the brunt of the typhoon.

More than 1,680 people in Cagayan were evacuated from coastal villages before the storm hit and the exercise was continuing, said Norma Talosig, regional civil defence chief.

“They have to evacuate to higher ground, not in their village. They are being assisted by the local governments using buses and trucks, even ambulances,” she said.

Ms Talosig expressed fears some people would refuse to go due to complacency.

“Some people were worried about the security of the belongings they may leave behind. We have been trying our best, aiming for zero casualties but our efforts will be useless if some people don’t listen,” she added. Over 1,200 other people evacuated their homes in the neighbouring province of Isabela as a precautionary measure before the storm.

The national civil defence chief, Alexander Pama, said that given the possibility of storm surges of up to two metres, they were taking no chances.

“There is no exact science in this. So we will stay on the safe side” by ordering evacuations in vulnerable areas,” he said.

“Even as we speak, our armed forces are already moving to help in the evacuation. So too are our police forces who are conducting evacuations in their municipalities,” he said.

Storm surges – tsunami-like waves generated by powerful typhoons – have become a major concern during storms.

In November 2013, storm surges were the main killers as Super Typhoon Haiyan ravaged the central Philippines, leaving more than 7,350 people dead or missing.

Several hundred people living in a farming hamlet below the restive Bulusan volcano on Luzon have also been transferred because of the potential for rain to mix with volcanic ash accumulated on its slopes and form deadly, fast-moving mudflows.

The civil defence office also cited a number of areas that could be hit by landslides or flash floods because of the “heavy to intense rainfall” that the typhoon was expected to bring.

The government has suspended ferry services in affected areas and some domestic flights have also been cancelled.

About 20 typhoons and storms hit the Philippines each year and many of them cause deaths.

In Taiwan nearly 1,000 tourists had been removed from scenic Green Island by noon, a local government official said.

“Tourists would otherwise be stranded there for at least two days,” he said.

All ferries and flights to Green Island and another tourist attraction, Orchid Island, were suspended and people were urged to stay away from coastal areas.

* Agence France-Presse and Reuters