ZAMBOANGA CITY (Mindanao Examiner / Nov. 6, 2013) – The Philippines are preparing for the super typhoon Haiyan which is expected to hit the country and authorities have urged citizens to brace for the worse.
The Philippine Red Cross said it is also now on full alert after the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration issued an advisory that the typhoon would likely make landfall this week.
It said additional emergency supplies are being provided to Red Cross chapters and that staff and volunteers are also starting to pack relief items such as food, sleeping items and hygiene kits to be distributed to areas that may be affected by the super typhoon.
The Red Cross said it is coordinating for the prepositioning of food items – rice, canned goods, sugar, salt, cooking oil- for 15,000 families and will be handed over to the Red Cross chapters that would need urgent support for response operation. Non-food items such as laundry soap, bath soap, jerry cans, kitchen sets and tarpaulins will also be sent.
It urged the public to store adequate supply of food and clean water, including flashlights, candles and battery-powered radios.
According to weather website AccuWeather.com, the typhoon poses a serious threat to lives and property across the Philippines after Haiyan became a super typhoon on November 6 with maximum sustained winds of 240 kph (150 mph).
“This makes the intensity of Haiyan equal to that of a powerful Category 4 hurricane in the Atlantic as it continues to track toward the Philippines. With its current track, Haiyan will cross over the Philippines Friday through Friday night.”
“Three storms (Nari, Utor and Krosa) have crossed the Philippines at typhoon strength so far this year. All three tracked across Luzon, while Haiyan is headed toward the central Philippines,” said AccuWeather.com Meteorologist Eric Wanenchak.
He said Haiyan will rival Utor as the strongest typhoon to hit the Philippines this year. Rain and wind will increase across the east-central Philippines Thursday night with conditions deteriorating from east to west Friday through Friday night as the powerful typhoon crosses the islands. (Mindanao Examiner)
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