Typhoon Gaemi claimed the lives of at least four people and caused hundreds of thousands to be evacuated as its rains brought widespread flooding to the Philippines, before barrelling on toward Taiwan.
Gaemi had maximum sustained winds of 138 mph Wednesday morning, according to the US Navy’s Joint Typhoon Warning Center. That would make it a Category 4 hurricane on the five-tier scale that is used to measure tropical cyclones in the Atlantic Ocean.
At least four people died in a landslide triggered by the rain and more than half a million people have been displaced in the Philippines, according to a local government and the national disaster management agency. Floodwaters in the capital of Manila inundated vehicles and brought traffic to a standstill, with some residents being seen climbing on top of stranded buses.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. ordered “all concerned agencies to provide swift assistance to all those affected.”
In Taiwan, President Lai Ching-te urged residents in low-lying areas and those prone to landslides to evacuate early.
Gaemi was forecast to make landfall on Taiwan’s northeastern coast Wednesday night in a slightly weakened state, the island’s Central Weather Administration said. After moving away from the island Friday, it was expected to continue heading northwest toward the coast of southeastern China.
Meteorologists said the storm was intensifying as it approached Taiwan, an island of about 23 million people.
The storm had “looping track,” they said, meaning that it could remain for longer at the same location, bringing more torrential rain and inflicting more damage. Taiwan was last hit by a typhoon of this strength and type in 2008.
The threat of severe weather forced the closure of schools and businesses, and the cancellation of more than 500 flights, Taiwanese officials said at a briefing Wednesday morning. Bad weather caused by the storm knocked out power to more than 18,000 homes, they added.
There were fewer cars on the road than usual in the capital, Taipei, and long lines at some supermarkets as people stocked up on food and drinking water.
Gaemi also brought heavy rain to the Philippines, where the storm is called Carina. The national meteorological agency warned of “severe winds” in parts of the country.
Philippine officials said on social media that government offices would be closed Wednesday in the capital, Manila, where some areas were under knee-deep water. - Bloomberg