In America we call it a hurricane; in this part of the world it's called a typhoon. It's the same thing, if you don't know. There are many each year that hit the Philippines but this one is expected to be the worst this year, and it's headed straight for Cebu (our province). It's a "super typhoon" which is equivalent to category 4 and category 5 hurricanes.
According to weather.com.ph the maximum sustained winds "have rapidly increased to 280 km/hr [175 mph] near the center with higher gusts". I believe that makes it a category 5 hurricane in American terms. [UPDATE: now maximum sustained winds have increased to 190 mph]
We've felt the effects of typhoons hitting other parts of the Philippines but I don't know if we've had one come this close and also one this powerful. Malls closed early tonight here in Cebu because it's expected to hit our area tomorrow afternoon, and people need to prepare.
It will be somewhat buffered by a couple island provinces that it hits before Cebu. They're gonna get hit really hard. It may be pretty strong here too or strong enough to cause a lot of inconvenience such as loss of power. We'll see.
People were advised to stock up on food so that's exactly what we did tonight. Many have also been evacuated from the most vulnerable areas.
Keep in mind that in the Philippines many people live in simple housing (some just huts, or less than that), so this is very dangerous for some people.
One of the main cities that it will hit first (before it comes to Cebu) is Ormoc. I was in Ormoc once a couple years ago and I remember being told there that a typhoon hit them years prior and killed thousands, I think they said. Well it looks like they're gonna get hit really hard again now.
According to weather.com.ph the maximum sustained winds "have rapidly increased to 280 km/hr [175 mph] near the center with higher gusts". I believe that makes it a category 5 hurricane in American terms. [UPDATE: now maximum sustained winds have increased to 190 mph]
We've felt the effects of typhoons hitting other parts of the Philippines but I don't know if we've had one come this close and also one this powerful. Malls closed early tonight here in Cebu because it's expected to hit our area tomorrow afternoon, and people need to prepare.
It will be somewhat buffered by a couple island provinces that it hits before Cebu. They're gonna get hit really hard. It may be pretty strong here too or strong enough to cause a lot of inconvenience such as loss of power. We'll see.
People were advised to stock up on food so that's exactly what we did tonight. Many have also been evacuated from the most vulnerable areas.
Keep in mind that in the Philippines many people live in simple housing (some just huts, or less than that), so this is very dangerous for some people.
One of the main cities that it will hit first (before it comes to Cebu) is Ormoc. I was in Ormoc once a couple years ago and I remember being told there that a typhoon hit them years prior and killed thousands, I think they said. Well it looks like they're gonna get hit really hard again now.
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