Philippines: Deadly Typhoon Man-yi brings floods in its wake

Super Typhoon Man-yi wreaked havoc across the Philippine archipelago over the weekend with high winds and massive downpours that caused landslides and storm surges.

At least eight people were killed, including an entire family of seven who died after a landslide buried their home in a northern provincial town in Nueva Vizcaya, officials said.

Man-yi was the sixth major storm to hit the country in a month.

Massive flooding

Hundreds of houses in the northern Philippines were inundated on Monday after water released from a dam following Typhoon Man-yi caused a major river to overflow.

Ilagan City in Isabela province was one of the places worst hit by the flooding, along with Tuguegarao City in Cagayan province..

Isabela province has been badly affected by floodingImage: VILLAMOR VISAYA/AFP/Getty Images

Farmlands and villages in Nueva Ecija province in northern Luzon, which is known for its rice production, were also flooded.

 "If Magat Dam continues to release water on all of its seven gates, Ilagan city might get erased from the map due to flooding," Jun Montereal, chairman of the city's disaster preparedness committee, told AFP news agency.

He estimated that 500 houses had been inundated.

 Water was released from the dam to prevent its potential collapse, which would have caused even greater destruction, officials said.

Widespread destruction

Man-yi made landfall in the eastern province of Catanduanes on Saturday, bringing winds of up to 195 kilometers (125 miles) per hour, which made it the strongest of the six recent storms.

Officials in Catanduanes say power outages across the island province could last for months after high winds blew over electricity poles.

More than 685,000 people fled their homes in northeastern provinces ahead of landfall after authorities had warned of a "potentially dangerous and life-threatening situation."

During its traversal of the archipelago, the typhoon toppled trees, removed rooftops, razed houses built of flimsy materials and triggered floods and storm surges that damaged several coastal roads.

This kiosk in Catanduanes province was blown awayImage: John Marshal Aquino/AFP

Deadly series of storms

Man-Yi is now headed for Vietnam after being downgraded to a typhoon, with maximum sustained winds of 110 kilometers per hour (68.35 mph) and gusts of up to 135 kph.

Climate change is increasing the intensity and frequency of storms, leading to heavier rains, flash floods and stronger gusts.

At least 171 people in the Philippines died in the past month's storms, with thousands made homeless and many crops and livestock destroyed.

tj/lo (AFP, AP, Reuters)