Typhoon Koppu leaves 2 dead
Typhoon Koppu, which made landfall near Casiguran in the Philippines on Sunday, left atleast 2 people dead and several more injured in its wake. The casualties were a teenager, killed by a fallen tree in Manila, and a 62 year-old woman killed by a collapsed wall in Subic. Atleast 20,000 people have been driven from their homes as a result of severe flooding.
Koppu developed into a typhoon on 16 October 2015, and reached the super typhoon status on the evening of the 17th. Philippines became its first victim, when it struck Luzon with the intensity of a Category 4 hurricane, but weakened afterwards losing its super typhoon status. As per predictions Koppu will drift northwards; Japan, Taiwan and far-eastern China are on alert.
Koppu, Japanese for "cup", is the 12th major storm to hit the Philippines in 2015. According to the U.S. military's Joint Typhoon Warning Center, Koppu was packing maximum sustained winds of 240 kilometers/hour when it made landfall in Casiguran.
Typhoon Koppu, being a slow-moving storm, will continue to bring heavy rain on the Philippines for days, posing a major threat of severe flooding. Some areas are expected to receive 1 meter (39 inches) of rain by Wednesday. The town of San Antonio in Philippines' main island Luzon, along with several other towns in the Nueva Ecija province, has been completely flooded,
Typhoon Koppu, 650 kilometers across, is in close proximity to Typhoon Champi. A complex interaction between the two storms is creating a ridge of high pressure over Taiwan, which is effectively trapping Koppu from heading away from Philippines.
Philippines sees an average of 20 major storms and typhoons annually, making it one of the most disaster-prone areas in the world. In November 2013, Typhoon Haiyan devastated the country leaving more than 7,300 people dead or missing.
Roads and communications have been cut-off in three towns in the Aurora province in Philippines as a result of severe flooding and landslides. The army and other agencies are engaged in an active effort to clear the road for rescue operations. Casiguran, where the storm made landfall and which houses 25,000 inhabitants is one of the affected towns; the others being Dilasag and Dinalungan.
