Typhoon Kammuri Deluges Philippines with Late-Season Storm

Typhoon Kammuri as seen from above on Dec. 2, 2019. (Photo courtesy of NOAA)

Typhoon Kammuri made landfall on Monday in the Philippines, and mass evacuations took place before the storm ripped ashore the nation’s most populated island.

The storm, known locally as Typhoon Tisoy, brought sustained winds of 130 miles per hour, the equivalent of a Category 4 hurricane. Officials are concerned not only about destructive winds and rainfall, but also potential mudslides in the area.

At least 200,000 people have been evacuated, and Manila International Airport temporarily suspended operations on Tuesday. Many schools in the impacted areas were closed.

The storm is late in the season, and is the twentieth storm to hit the Philippines this year.

Direct Relief has staff on the ground in the Philippines and is working in coordination with local groups monitoring needs. The organization has a long history of responding to the region, including in the wake of Typhoons Haiyan and Hagupit, among others.

The organization has an MOU with the ASEAN Coordinating Center for Humanitarian Assistance, known as the AHA Center, to provide prepositioned emergency medical supplies for ASEAN’s collective response to local disasters.

ASEAN stands for the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and includes ten countries in that part of the world. The countries sit on or near the “Ring of Fire,” the zone around the Pacific Ocean that is prone to natural disasters like earthquakes and volcanic eruptions.

Earlier this year, a new disaster response center in the Philippines was stocked with essential emergency materials for deployment in emergencies throughout the ASEAN region.

Direct Relief will continue coordination as the typhoon progresses and will respond as needed.

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