Half a million flee their homes in terror as 150mph Typhoon 'Smash' bears down on Philippines

 

 

This image captured by the MODIS instrument aboard NASA's Terra satellite shows Typhoon Hagupit on Thursday, December 4, 2014, at 02:10 UTC, as it approaches the Philippines. Villagers are fleeing coastal towns in the central Philippines as the advancing storm evokes memories of last year's deadly typhoon. Forecasters say Typhoon Hagupit may hit some of the same places devastated by Haiyan in 2013. (AP Photo/NASA Goddard MODIS Rapid Response)

A million people head for emergency shelters as Typhoon Hagupit makes landfall in the Philippines Around 900,000 batten down the hatches in emergency shelters across the Philippines as typhoon strikes nation Typhoon Hagupit - which means 'smash' or 'lash' - battered the country with 100mph winds and driving rain At least three people, including a baby, were been killed as well as multiple injuries in eastern provinces The typhoon knocked out power, mowed down trees and ripped off roofs as it tore through the Philippines The raging storm comes just a year after Typhoon Haiyan claimed the lives of more than 7,000 Filipinos Almost a million people battened down the hatches in emergency shelters across the Philippines as Typhoon Hagupit's 100mph winds battered the nation. The fierce storm knocked out power, mowed down trees and sent almost 900,000 people into shelters as it ripped through the country overnight, causing flooding and ripping roofs off homes, killing at least three people. Forecasters warned that Hagupit - meaning 'smash' or 'lash' - was far from over as it made its way slowly across eastern provinces. Scroll down for video +31 A man pleads for help in the town of Taft, Samar Island, in the aftermath of Typhoon Hagupit which has killed at least three as it swept across the nation +31 Almost a million people battened down the hatches in emergency shelters across the Philippines as Typhoon Hagupit struck the nations, causing floods and ripping out power lines +31 A NASA satellite image showed Typhoon Hagupit swirling over the Philippines as its fierce wind and rain destroyed homes in the east of the nation +31 A Filipino man clings to a wall as winds of up to 100mph slam Legazpi, Albay province, eastern Philippines earlier today +31 Typhoon Hagupit caused flooding and ripped roofs off homes, with unconfirmed reports suggesting three people were killed +31 Power outages have left streets in darkness across the Philippines, with torches and car headlamps the only source of light in some areas +31 The coastal city of Legazpi was battered by the biblical storm for hours as waves crashed against the sea wall and winds tore trees from the ground +31 The storm weakened as it crossed the Philippines, but forecasters warned the typhoon was far from over after it battered eastern provinces +31 Video: The Aftermath of Typhoon Hagupit The typhoon, which made landfall in Eastern Samar late Saturday, is moving slowly, dumping heavy rain that could trigger landslides and more flash flooding. At least three people have died, with local radio stations suggesting that number could be higher in Eastern Samar and Iloilo, where some reports of deaths are yet to be confirmed by officials or the Red Cross. Among those killed by the typhoon were a baby and a woman who died of hypothermia in Iloilo yesterday. Another person died after being hit by a falling tree in the eastern town of Dolores, where the typhoon first made landfall. Two women were also hurt by another falling tree when it struck the tricycle taxi they were riding on in central Negros Oriental province. Traumatised by the massive death and destruction caused by Typhoon Haiyan - which struck just a year ago, killing thousands - more than 800,000 people fled to around 1,000 emergency shelters as the government, backed by the 120,000-strong military, tried to maintain a degree of calm. Rhea Estuna, a 29-year-old mother of one, fled on Thursday to an evacuation center in Tacloban - the city hardest-hit by Haiyan last year - and waited in fear as Hagupit's wind and rain lashed the school where she and her family sought refuge. When she peered outside Sunday, she said she saw a starkly different aftermath than the one she witnessed last year after Haiyan struck. +31 A woman sits inside the remains of her house on Samar island, one of the worst-hit parts of the Philippines +31 A man climbs on top of the wreckage his destroyed house in Tacloban, central Philippines, which will need to be rebuilt +31 A man runs from the shoreline as strong winds and rain from Typhoon Hagupit lash the coast line, whipping up large waves +31 The fierce storm knocked out power, mowed down trees and sent more than 800,000 people into shelters as it ripped through the country +31 Men and women were forced to wade through knee-deep floodwater as they went to find aid supplies after the storm calmed in Borongan city +31 The typhoon, which made landfall in Eastern Samar late Saturday, is moving slowly, dumping heavy rain that could trigger landslides and more flash flooding +31 Traumatised by the massive death and destruction caused by Typhoon Haiyan - which struck just a year ago, killing thousands - more than 800,000 people fled to around 1,000 emergency shelters +31 Borongan residents assess the damage on a street on the Samar island city after Hagupit caused devastation overnight +31 A family seek the only refuge they can find, cramming themselves into a tent in cave in Guiuan, eastern Samar Province +31 Floodwater sweeping through towns could cause humanitarian problems, with emergency aid workers on standby 'There were no bodies scattered on the road, no big mounds of debris,' she said. 'Thanks to God this typhoon wasn't as violent.' Haiyan's tsunami-like storm surges and killer winds left thousands of people dead and levelled entire villages, most of them in and around Tacloban. Nearly a dozen countries, led by the United States and the European Union, have pledged to help in case of a catastrophe, disaster-response agency chief Alexander Pama said. The EU commissioner for humanitarian aid, Christos Stylianides, said a team of experts would be deployed to help assess the damage and needed response. 'The Philippines are not alone as they brace up for a possible hardship,' Mr Stylianides said, adding that the European Commission was 'hoping that the impact will be less powerful than a year ago, when Typhoon Haiyan left a devastating imprint on the country.' +31 A resident braves the wind and rain as he heads to a market in Legazpi to stock up on supplies after Hagupit tore through the city +31 Children climb on trees brought down by the 100mph storm, which caused multiple injuries and may have led to fatalities +31 Volcanic rocks are washed onto a main road during a flash flood this morning, coming a year after Typhoon Haiyan killed more than 7,000 people in the Philippines +31 Filipino children sit outside their makeshift home while waiting for evacuation at a coastal area in Paranaque city, south of Manila +31 Displaced villagers were asked to return home from emergency shelters in provinces where the danger posed by the typhoon had waned +31 While officials expressed relief that the storm was not worse, they were quick to warn that Hagupit - Filipino for 'smash' or 'lash' - was still on course to barrel across three major central islands +31 A woman braves strong rain as she walks along an empty street hours before Typhoon Hagupit passes near the city of Legazpi Displaced villagers were asked to return home from emergency shelters in provinces where the danger posed by the typhoon had waned, including Albay, where more than half a million people were advised to leave evacuation sites. Nearly 12,000 villagers, however, will remain in government shelters in Albay because their homes lie near a restive volcano. While officials expressed relief, they were quick to warn that Hagupit - Filipino for 'smash' or 'lash' - was still on course to barrel across three major central islands before starting to blow away Tuesday into the South China Sea. Several typhoon-lashed eastern villages isolated by downed telephone and power lines were out of contact, Welfare Secretary Dinky Soliman said. 'It's too early to tell,' Philippine Red Cross Secretary-General Gwendolyn Pang said. 'Let's cross our fingers that it will stay that way. It's too close to Christmas.' Army troops were deployed to supermarkets and major roads in provinces in the typhoon's path to prevent looting and chaos and clear debris, all of which slowed the government's response to Haiyan last year. Unlike past years, many people readily left high-risk communities ahead of Hagupit, Soliman said. He added: 'Haiyan was the best teacher of all. People did not need much convincing to move to safety. In fact, many of them volunteered to go.' +31 Children play on top of a boat in a shanty town in Manila, where the typhoon is yet to strike +31 Volunteers pack relief goods for typhoon-affected areas inside a warehouse in Pasay City, south of the capital Manila +31 A boy takes a nap on bags of rice which will be sent out to typhoon-ravaged towns and villages over the next days and weeks +31 Unlike before Typhoon Haiyan last year, people were prepared for the storm, with aid efforts stepped up by the government +31 Children peer from a glass window inside a school turned into a temporary evacuation centre in Daan Bantayan, Cebu province

Half a million flee their homes in terror as 150mph Typhoon 'Smash' bears down on Philippines Thousands flee coastal villages and landslide zones as 150mph Typhoon Hagupit is set to strike the Philippines The capital Manila, where 12 million people live, could be in the firing line, the U.S. military warned last night Families with young children and babies take refuge in churches and sports stadiums as the storm approaches Ports close across the nation and flights are cancelled as the country braces itself for Pacific typhoon to arrive Hagupit, Filipino for 'smash', is expected to make landfall on the eastern coast of the Philippines late tomorrow Huge storm comes just a year after Typhoon Haiyan claimed the lives of more than 7,000 people in the Philippines Half a million people have fled their homes in the Philippines as the nation braces itself for a second devastating typhoon in just over a year. Typhoon Hagupit, Filipino for 'smash', is expected to batter swathes of the nation with 150mph winds tomorrow, including the densely populated capital Manila, with millions of people in the firing line. Coastal villages and areas prone to landslides were left deserted as people made their way to safer land, just over a year after Typhoon Haiyan claimed 7,000 lives. +22 Typhoon Hagupit, with winds of up to 150mph, is expected to strike the eastern coast of the Philippines late tomorrow, just over a year after Typhoon Haiyan claimed the lives of more than 7,000 people +22 A satellite image taken from miles above Earth shows the typhoon moving across the Pacific Ocean towards the Philippines +22 Families sought refuge in churches, town halls and sports stadiums as the typhoon closed in, with Filipinos better prepared for the storm than last year +22 Coastal villages and areas prone to landslides were left deserted as people made their way to safe zones, such as Tacloban city (pictured) +22 Children and babies, such as two-month-old Ivan Lecciones (pictured), took shelter in a temporary evacuation centre in a church +22 A woman prays with rosaries inside a makeshift evacuation centre as the Philippines braces for Typhoon Hagupit to strike +22 Villagers abandoned houses on the coast as clouds began to form over eastern areas of the Philippines, with residents heading to safer areas inland Families with young children and babies were seen taking cover in churches, town halls and sports stadiums today as they prepared for Hagupit to arrive, fearing it could wreak as much havoc as Haiyan, which destroyed a million homes and displaced more than four million last November. Hagupit, Filipino for 'smash', is expected to make landfall on the eastern coast of the Pacific nation late on Saturday, but the U.S, military believe it may veer north and threaten Manila - where 12 million people live. More than 2,000 people were left stranded in the city as ports closed across the nation. Some Philippine Airlines and Cebu Pacific flights in the south of the nation were shut as the storm closed in.  Mayor of Manila Joseph Estrada said: 'We have alerted the people of Manila and we're ready. These typhoons change direction all the time.' +22 Forecasts show the typhoon is expected to travel across central Philippines, with some suggesting it could veer north towards Manila +22 Families left their homes behind, in the knowledge that last year's typhoon destroyed a million house and left four million people displaced +22 Thousands were left stranded as ports closed across the nation, with flights in the south of the nation also cancelled as the storm approached +22 Armed policemen stood guard outside a shopping centre in an attempt to stop people from panic-buying in the lead up to tomorrow's typhoon +22 Shelves began to empty as residents of Tacloban city, where thousands of people have been evacuated, stocked up on supplies +22 People wait for relief goods outside a church after evacuating their homes as the Typhoon, set to hit tomorrow evening, approached +22 A lone Typhoon Haiyan survivor is seen in a 'tent city' near Tacloban city, but most people living there have been evacuated to safer buildings +22 Families queued up outside town halls as they waited for relief to arrive, with people stocking up on what they can before the storm arrives +22 An elderly woman sits while other family members gather their belongings as they arrive at a stadium to seek refuge WHY IS THE PHILIPPINES STRUCK BY TYPHOONS SO OFTEN? Dr Steven Godby, expert in natural hazards at Nottingham Trent University, said: 'No other country is struck by as many tropical cyclones each year as the Philippines. 'For these storms to form, warm sea surface temperatures of at least 26C are needed and these conditions are found in the western parts of the main ocean basins, away from cold water currents.  'Isolated island groups like the Philippines are particularly vulnerable to tropical cyclones.' Hagupit is forecast to tear through central Philippines along the same route where Haiyan levelled villages and left more than 7,300 dead or missing.  The typhoon, which currently lies more than 250 miles east of the Philippines, strengthened overnight as gusts intensified to 155mph.  In Manila, President Benigno Aquino yesterday led an emergency meeting of disaster-response agencies. The government put the military on full alert, workers opened evacuation centers and transported food packs, medicines and body bags to far-flung villages, which could be cut off by heavy rains.  The Philippines appears to have learned lessons from last year's devastation, evacuating thousands to safer areas, including the eastern city of Tacloban, where the typhoon has triggered panic-buying in shops and petrol stations.  Joho Moro, a 42-year-old businessman whose wife, daughter and mother were killed in Tacloban by Haiyan last year, said: 'I'm scared. I'm praying to God not to let another disaster strike us again. We haven't recovered from the first.' He added that he had stocked up on essential supplies and water in preparation for the storm.  +22 Workers fold a billboard sign in anticipation of strong winds brought by Typhoon Hagupit on a coastal road in Cavite City, south of Manila +22 Stranded passengers sleep on chairs in ports north of Manila as ferries were cancelled in anticipation of Typhoon Hagupit +22 A stranded cargo ship washed ashore in Anibong village, near Tacloban, after Typhoon Haiyan last year awaits another battering +22 Children carried their belongings and each other as they made their way to safe areas, passing another ship left stranded after last year's devastation +22 Widow Ginalyn Edca holds a picture of her husband who was killed by Haiyan as she makes a way to an evacuation centre +22 Alexander Pama, chief of the National Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council, points to a satellite image of Typhoon Hagupit which is brewing over the Pacific Ocean Hundreds of people still living in tents following Haiyan, known as Yolanda in the Philippines, were among the first to be relocated to safe zones in Tacloban, which has run out of hotel rooms as wealthier families booked ahead for the weekend.   Rita Villadolid, a 39-year-old taking refuge inside a stadium said: 'We've learned our lesson from Yolanda. Everyone here is gripped with fear.' Disaster response official Blanche Gobenciong said nearly 12,000 residents in Tacloban, where entire settlements were wiped out by the storm, have so far been moved from high-risk villages to emergency shelters. She said: 'We've not heard of villagers resisting to be evacuated. Their trauma is still so fresh.  'We have a zero-casualty target. Just one loss of life will really sadden us all and make us wonder what went wrong.' The typhoon was downgraded to a category 4 today, a level below a 'super typhoon', with hopes it may weaken to winds of around 108mph by the time it strikes tomorrow.