Typhoon Parma Slams Philippines
Typhoon Parma Slams Philippines which is already storm-battered, on Saturday afternoon, October 3rd, 2009. Tens of thousands of Philippine people had to flee their homes for better shelter.
Typhoon Parma Slams Philippines at 5 p.m (5 a.m. ET), Parma, known locally as Typhoon Pepeng, had maximum sustained winds of 148 kph ( 92 mph) with gusts as high as 185 kph (115mph) made landfall in a rural region of fishermen and farmers in Luzon, the largest of the Philippine islands.
The winds whipped the coastline and felled power lines in northernmost Cagayan Province. Debris littered the roads, making evacuations even more difficult.
Parma veered off to the north, avoiding a direct hit on heavily populated Manila. But the real menace in the Philippines capital was not wind. It was water, and there was no escape from it with Parma.
Typhoon Parma Slams Philippines with as much as 8 to 20 inches of rain in areas still water-logged from last week’s Typhoon Ketsana, which dumped the heaviest rainfall in 40 years. Leaving 80 percent of Manila under water.
Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro asked Filipinos to remain in shelters even if they were in cities and towns not directly in Parma’s path. The government is concerned about massive flooding and possible mudslides in mountainous regions.
The government has sent out 10,000 troops to help with rescue and relief operations as the brave Filipinos prepared for the worst.
For those of you who would like to help, World Vision, the Christian humanitarian organization, is planning to launch relief operations Saturday evening in Isabela Province, one of the areas slammed by Typhoon Parma. The group also plans assistance for nearby Cagayan province, whose capital, Tuguegarao, is being hit hard by Parma’s strong winds.
President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo has placed the country “under the state of calamity.”
Our thoughts and prayers have been sent to those in so much need.
Typhoon Ketsana, devastated whole houses, cars, buses, bridges, hospitals, schools, and Church’s over the weekend, killing at least 246 in the Philippines. It then became full strength typhoon. There are still 38 people missing, with the storm affected nearly 2 million people and forced the evacuation of 567,000.
For the full story of “Typhoon Parma Slams Philippines,” go to CNN News.
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