5 dead, thousands evacuated as typhoon Noru batters Philippines

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5 dead, thousands evacuated as typhoon Noru batters Philippines

A resident secures the roof of his house in the seaside slum district of Tondo, while typhoon Noru approaches Manila, Philippines on September 25, 2022. AARON FAVILA APBULACAN, Philippines Philippine authorities rushed to distribute aid to thousands of evacuees after typhoon Noru made landfall in the capital and northern provinces, leaving at least five dead and many areas flooded.

Sustained winds of 185 kilometers per hour hit the main island of Luzon over the weekend, prompting authorities to shut down schools, government offices and the stock market through Monday.

President Ferdinand Marcos ordered supplies to be airlifted and clean-up equipment be provided to most affected communities.

At the moment, the majority of evacuees are already back home, according to a news conference with disaster management officials on Monday, referring to the 74,000 people who were forced into evacuation centers because of the storm.

Luzon, which accounts for more than two-thirds of the economy and roughly half of the country's 110 million population, started clean-up operations after floods in the capital region started subsiding, officials said.

Five rescue workers were killed in Bulacan province, Governor Daniel Fernando told the DZMM radio station, where residents were seen wading through waist-deep waters while others were stranded on rooftops.

Many homes were destroyed but all roads are passable and there are no landslides, Quezon province Governor Helen Tan told DZRH radio station. She said the local government had started clearing fallen trees and other debris.

President Marcos, who will conduct an aerial inspection later on Monday, ordered officials to provide emergency power supply to two provinces north of the capital, Aurora and Nueva Ecija, which were left without electricity.

Noru made landfall as a Category 3 typhoon but weakened as it traversed land on Sunday night. The storm was headed for Vietnam and the South China Sea, according to the state weather agency.

The Philippines, an archipelago of more than 7,600 islands, sees an average of 20 tropical storms yearly. In 2013, the Typhoon Haiyan, one of the most powerful tropical cyclones recorded, killed 6,300 people.