Saola brushed past the northeast of the main island of Luzon, Philippines on August 27 and continued south just off the Pacific coast packing winds of up to 185 kilometres per hour. (Photo: AP)Hanoi (VNA) – The Philippines’rescue force on August 27 said that hundreds of people were forcedto leave their homes as floods unleashed by super typhoon Saola swept throughmainly rural villages in the northwestern region of the country.
Saola brushed past the northeast of the main island of Luzonovernight on August 26 and continued south just off the Pacific coast packingwinds of up to 185 kilometers per hour. The typhoon came within 125km of Tuguegarao, a city housingapproximately 160,000 residents.
Ruelie Rapsing, a rescueofficial in Cagayan province, described the situation as the rains pouredrelentlessly overnight. A total of 388 individuals were evacuated from fourCagayan towns, while the water levels in two other towns continued to rise.
The aftermath ofthe deluge was captured in photos shared on the provincial government’sFacebook page, revealing knee-deep floodwaters inundating homes in themunicipality of Aparri.
As the typhoon made itsway south along Luzon’s east coast, the state weather service predicted that itwould remain in coastal waters without making a direct landfall. This broughtsome relief to nearby provinces such as Isabela and Aurora, where authoritiesreported no immediate damage or casualties. However, the threat of heavy rainpersists, with the potential to trigger flash floods and landslides.
The Philippines, located in the typhoon-prone Pacificregion, experiences an average of 20 major storms annually./.
