Thousands Evacuated in the Philippines as Super Typhoon Ragasa Approaches

More than 10,000 people sought refuge in schools and evacuation centers in the Philippines on Monday, as intense rains and powerful wind gusts from Super Typhoon Ragasa battered the northern part of the archipelago nation.

According to the Philippine weather services, the typhoon made landfall on Calayan Island, part of the sparsely populated Batanes or Babuyan islands, at 3:00 p.m. local time (07:00 GMT). At 2:00 p.m. local time (06:00 GMT), wind speeds at the storm's center were recorded at 215 km/h (134 mph), with gusts of up to 295 km/h (183 mph).

"I woke up because of the strong wind. It was hitting the windows and it sounded like a machine was running," recounted Tirso Tugago, a resident of the coastal town of Aparri in the northern province of Cagayan.

"We are experiencing strong winds in northern Cagayan," Rueli Rapsing, the chief of the emergency services for that province, told AFP, adding that they had prepared for "the worst."

"Since the super typhoon will pass through Calayan, we are very focused on that area," he further stated regarding the city in the northern part of the province.

The Philippines had ordered evacuations in the north of the country on Sunday. Both offices and schools remained closed on Monday in the Manila region and in 29 provinces.

Philippine climate specialist John Grender Almario told journalists on Sunday that "severe flooding and landslides" are expected in the northern part of the main island of Luzon, where the capital, Manila, is located.

Regional Impact

In China, the southern city of Shenzhen plans to evacuate 400,000 people ahead of the super typhoon's arrival, according to authorities on the city's Emergency Management WeChat account.

Other cities in Guangdong province, where Shenzhen is located, announced the cancellation of classes, work schedules, and transport services due to the typhoon.

Hong Kong-based airline Cathay Pacific announced on Monday that it anticipates canceling more than 500 flights because of Ragasa.

In Taiwan, small-scale evacuations were carried out in mountainous areas near Pingtung, local fire department official James Wu told AFP.

"Our biggest concern is that the damage could be similar to that caused by Typhoon Koinu two years ago," added Wu, referring to a storm that brought down power lines and tore off roofs in the area.