Philippines Girds for 'Calamity' Ahead of Super-Typhoon

Overflow from dams could be behind the slides

(NEWSER) - Landslides and continued flooding in the wake of two typhoons have killed more than 90 people in the Philippines. Many areas of the country are still underwater, and some reports suggest that water released by dams after Typhoons Ketsana and Parma is responsible for the landslides. More»

(NEWSER) - Some one million people on China's southeast coast have fled ahead of a massive typhoon spawning 30-foot waves and packing 74 mph winds, reports the BBC. Typhoon Morakot made landfall early today in Fujan Province after authorities sent more than 8 million text messages warning residents to evacuate. Morakot dumped more than 8 feet of rain on Taiwan earlier this week, triggering the worst flooding in 50 years. The typhoon also sparked violent rains in the Philippines, where at least 10 people died. More»

Many were caught sleeping

(AP) - Pounding rain from a tropical storm swelled rivers and sent walls of water crushing into two southern Philippine cities in the thick of night, killing at least 436 people, many caught in their beds, officials said today. The Philippine Red Cross says the latest toll was based on a body count in funeral parlors. Of those, 215 died in Cagayan de Oro and 144 in nearby Iligan, and the rest in several other southern and central provinces. More»

Megi packing 146 mph winds, 46 foot waves

(NEWSER) - Furious 140 mph "Super Typhoon" Megi has slammed into the Philippines as thousands of residents huddle in shelters and steel themselves for massive flooding, landslides, and damage to crops, homes and power lines. Forecasters warned that waves off the east coast of the beleaguered nation could hit 46 feet. One man, a candidate in a local election, was already reported missing in a fast-moving river. More»

Storm hits still-recovering Manila and surrounding areas

(AP) - Another typhoon battered the Philippine capital and surrounding provinces today, leaving seven people dead and at least five missing. Typhoon Mirinae is the fourth storm to lash the northern Philippines in a month and brought new hardship to areas struggling from the previous disasters. Nearly 95,000 people were still living in temporary shelters when Mirinae struck. More»