State of calamity declared in Isabela, Philippines

Super Typhoon MEGI Strikes Northern Luzon, Philippines

Super Typhoon MEGI – VIS/IR Satellite Image . Source: CIMSS. Click image to enlarge.

Super typhoon MEGI (the 13th typhoon of the year in the region,) the 10th and strongest typhoon to strike the Philippines this year, hit Isabela province this morning and led to the state’s governor declaring a state of disaster.

Tens of thousands of people have been evacuated from two northern states of Isabela and Cagayan.

MEGI uprooted trees, destroyed houses, cut off power and communication lines, and forced dozens of flight cancellations across Luzon island, and may have cause substantial damage to the region’s rice crop.

“In six hours from 8 a.m. (0000 GMT), the city of Tuguegarao in Cagayan had 54 mm (2.2 inch) of rain, while Baguio City on the western side of Luzon had 28 mm, the weather bureau said,” Reuters reported.

The typhoon has already claimed at least one life, local media reported. Up to 100,000 metric tons of rice may have been lost.

MEGI should enter the South China Sea Tuesday, according to China’s meteorological authorities, a report said, where “torrential rains have already forced the evacuation of almost 140,000 people in the southern island province of Hainan.”

Related Links:

• Super Typhoon MEGI