Dozens Dead as Mudslides, New Floods Hit Philippines

Areas still stricken by last storm evacuate; Parma expected to hit within hours

(AP) - Filipinos braced to be whipped by powerful winds and pelted with rain from a second typhoon in eight days, fleeing by the tens of thousands from low-lying areas and suspending cleanup operations in the flooded capital. President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo declared a nationwide "state of calamity" and ordered mass evacuations of six provinces in the path of Typhoon Parma, expected to hit the main island of Luzon mid-afternoon Saturday. 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»

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»

Death toll and 140 and counting

(NEWSER) - Anger is mounting in the Philippines over what is widely seen as a slow and inadequate relief effort from the government. The death toll from the flash floods has jumped to 140, and is expected to continue rising as people look for missing relatives. At least 450,000 have been affected, including 150,00 displaced. President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo called it a “once-in-a-lifetime typhoon” that “has strained our response capabilities to the limit.” 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»