Several thousand inhabitants of an island in the eastern Philippines were evacuated this Saturday, October 18, due to the approach of Tropical Storm Fengshen, emergency services announced, while meteorologists fear coastal flooding.
More than 9,000 residents of Catanduanes Island have been evacuated to safer areas, according to the provincial disaster office, following a well-established procedure.
The provincial government of Catanduanes ordered local authorities to “activate their respective evacuation plans” for residents in “high-risk areas,” including the coast, low-lying areas and slopes prone to landslides, rescue official Gerry Rubio told AFP.
Neighboring provinces were also evacuated
The eye of the storm was expected to pass this island of 270,000 people in the Bicol region later on Saturday, with gusts of up to 80 km/h.
The neighboring provinces of Sorsogon and Albay also called for precautionary evacuations.
Every year, at least 20 storms or typhoons hit or approach the Philippines, with the country’s poorest regions often hardest hit.
Scientists say climate change is causing increasingly frequent and intense extreme weather events around the world.
The Fengshen storm comes after a series of earthquakes that have killed at least 87 people in the past three weeks and the recent passage of two deadly typhoons in the Philippines, Bualoi and Ragasa.
Source: BFM TV
