The Philippine government on Saturday ordered the evacuation of thousands of residents on the southern island of Luzon as the world’s strongest Category 5 storm of the year approaches the country.
On Sunday, Typhoon Goni will make landfall in the Philippines with sustained winds of 215 kilometers per hour and gusts of up to 265 kilometers per hour. It is the strongest typhoon to hit the Philippines since Typhoon Haiyan struck in November 2013, killing more than 6,300 people.
Local disaster relief official Gremil Naz told the media that pre-emptive evacuations have already begun in coastal areas and landslide-prone communities in the provinces of Camarines Norte and Camarines Sur; the Albay provincial government will order residents in dangerous areas to leave their homes because “the power of this typhoon is no joke. “
Last week, Typhoon Moravi killed 22 people in the Philippines, mainly in provinces south of the capital Manila, causing people to drown. Manila is also in the projected path of Goni. This is the country’s 18th tropical storm.
Another issue facing Philippine authorities is the need to limit social distances in evacuation centers to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. The Philippines has the second highest number of new coronavirus infections and deaths in Southeast Asia, after Indonesia.
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