Typhoon Melor, a Category 4 typhoon, has touched down in the Philippines on the island of Batag. Heavy winds and rain have caused 725,000 people to flee their homes and seek shelter elsewhere as they brace for damage and hope for no casualties. Winds reaching up to 135 miles per hour reached peak speed on Dec. 12 and 13 but have now weakened, reported CNN. The typhoon is expected to touch down again on the island of Luzon, reported NBC.
The Philippines is made up of 7,109 small islands in the Western Pacific Ocean in the typhoon belt area. The area is prone to roughly 20 typhoons every year, reported the Asian Disaster Reduction Center.
When Typhoon Melor was approaching, 40 domestic flights were cancelled, 8,000 sea travellers were stranded on land, fisherman were ordered to stay ashore and many schools closed, reported CNN.
The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council reported that in preparation for the typhoon's landing, 724,839 residents of three eastern provinces were evacuated over the course of Sunday and Monday, reported NBC. The majority of those evacuated were from the very densely populated Luzon island, reported CNN.
"The strong winds are terrifying," said Richard Gordon, chairman of the Red Cross in the Philippines, according to the BBC. He said that the roof of the Red Cross headquarters in Samar had already sustained damage. Smaller islands, such as Batag, where the typhoon first touched down this morning, could sustain significantly more damage, reported the BBC. The Red Cross fears that the typhoon could cause an ocean surge, which would lead to widespread flooding and greater infrastructural damage.
The evacuations are an astute measure of caution. In 2013, the Philippines was hit with Super Typhoon Haiyan, which caused 7,300 deaths or disappearances, reported NBC.
