Flood in Vietnam has swept away many people and create an alert in the Philippines. In the meantime Super Typhoon Megi, the strongest cyclone in years, has buffeted the Philippines on Monday. The huge storm striking the Philippines left at least one man drowned there, and was expected to plunge later into China, where authorities evacuated 100,000 people from a coastal province. The storm could head later in the week to Vietnam, where 24 deaths from flooding already have been reported in recent days.
Philippines authorities have warned the residents and rice farmers along the typhoon’s path to look out for the damage to crops, homes and power lines. Fishermen are advised not to go to the sea. Megi packed sustained winds of 140 miles (225 kilometers) per hour and gusts of 162 mph (260 kph) as it made landfall midday Monday at Palanan Bay in northeastern Isabela province, and was losing some of its power while crossing the mountains of the Philippines’ main northern island of Luzon.
More than 3,000 people in coastal areas moved to school buildings and town halls that were turned into evacuation centers. Ships and fishing vessels were told to stay in ports, and several domestic flights also were canceled. Benito Ramos, a top disaster-response official, said that thousands of military reserve officers and volunteers were on standby, along with helicopters, including six Chinooks that were committed by U.S. troops holding war exercises with Filipino soldiers near Manila.
