Typhoon Megi makes landfall in Philippines with winds of 140 mph

Typhoon Megi makes landfall in Philippines with winds of 140 mph

2010-10-18 12:36:13 GMT+7 (ICT)

MANILA (BNO NEWS) -- At least one person was killed after Typhoon Megi, with maximum sustained winds of 225 km/hr (140 mph), made landfall in the northern Philippine island of Luzon on Monday.

Police said Vincent Decena, who lives in a small town in Cagayan province, 350 kilometers from Manila, drowned after being swept away by a river.

According to the National Weather Service, Megi made landfall at 11:00 local time (3:00 GMT) and is moving at a speed of 19 km/hr, compared with 24 km/hr on Sunday, so it would stay longer than expected over the Philippines.

Benito Ramos, director of the Committee on Disaster Risk Reduction, said more than 3,000 people have already been evacuated in the coastal areas of Cagayan and Isabela.

"This is like preparing for war," Ramos told the press. "We know the past lessons and we're aiming for zero casualties." The government has alerted the civil protection services in 19 provinces in northern Philippines.

"Megi" is the 10th typhoon to hit the Philippines this year.

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