Philippines: Typhoon Melor Leaves 3 Million Without Electricity

Three people are confirmed dead, including one from hypothermia and two drowning, and 3 million were left without electric power in almost seven provinces after Typhoon Melor (known as ‘Nona’ locally) slammed into the central Philippines, with heavy rains and winds – though reducing – still of up to 170km/ph.

An around 250km area was hit by heavy rainfall, flooding and is still at risk of unusually high waves, stretching from the central to the southern regions of Luzon, the main Island of the Philippine archipelago including the metropolitan area of the capital Manila, and the Visaya archipelago, in the central Philippines.

The coasts along the Pacific were the worst-hit, though the alarm was high also along the “typhoon path” that cuts across the archipelago into open sea and, in alternative, the Chinese or Vietnamese coasts.

The coasts of Samar Island, the peninsula of Bicol in Luzon, the Romblon Islands, with over all at least 8 million inhabitant, are now in the eye of the storm, which this year surpassed the usual twenty extending the typhoon season and their general intensity.

The evacuation of some 750,000 people from the more exposed coastal regions however contributed to containing the death toll, confirms that improved warning systems, emergency interventions and assistance for the displaced remain fundamental despite the chronic lack of resources.

Schools remained closed in a dozen provinces, ferry and fishing activities were halted in many regions and twenty some civilian flights were suspended today, in addition to the 56 yesterday.

The areas hit are about the same as those by Hayan, the super-typhoon that on 8 November 2013 left 7,350 dead and missing.