As of 3 am eastern time, Typhoon Gener (International name: Saola) is said to exit the Philippines by Friday morning, Manila time.
The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAG-ASA) has communicated with Philippine news outlets that “the typhoon was still over land in eastern Taiwan, but still within the Philippine area of responsibility.”
It will be just another one of an incredible series of typhoons that has left a saddening aftermath to the country.
(Below is the original piece written a few hours ago.)
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Based on reports from various Philippine news outlets, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) has accounted for about 200,000 Filipinos that have been displaced by Typhoon ‘Gener,’ and a total of 23 people have been confirmed dead.
(Below is a photo of Roxas Boulevard)
According to Dennis Carcamo of The Philippine Star, the “latest data from the NDRRMC (shows that the) majority of the victims died from drowning. Some of the deaths were caused by landslides and uprooted trees or falling branches.” Luzon, the foremost of the three geographical divisions, has seen the most deaths, as it was hit hardest by the typhoon.
Carcamo’s report also states that ‘a total of 69,292 families or 331,588 individuals have been affected by the typhoon. 2,664 (12,000 individuals) of these families are currently staying in evacuation centers and 34,562 (167,997 individuals) are also displaced, but are staying with their relatives or friends.’
Cavite province has three municipalities declaring a state of calamity, as well as another in Laguna, and Camiguin Island is currently experiencing an area-wide blackout.
In a related wire (also from The Philippine Star’s website), ‘as of 4 a.m. today, the typhoon’s eye was 405 kilometers north of Basco, Batanes. It was packing maximum sustained winds of 130 kilometers per hour and gusts of up to 160 kph, moving north northwest at a speed of 15 kph.‘
At the moment, ‘Gener’ has made its way to Taiwan, and storm signals in the northern part of Luzon are being lifted.
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Featured Photo via The Baltimore Sun’s “Darkroom”
