New Typhoon - Parma - Heading For Philippines In Wake Of Flooding Disaster - Nation On Alert - AFP

[hatrack]

The Philippines went on high alert Thursday as a 'super typhoon' threatened to unleash more devastation for millions of people already struggling to recover from deadly floods that claimed 277 lives. Typhoon Parma was gaining strength as it churned towards the Southeast Asian nation and was expected to dump more heavy rain on areas still reeling from the weekend floods that forced nearly 700,000 people into evacuation camps.

"We are dealing with a very strong typhoon, so we should be at the highest level of preparedness," weather bureau spokesman Nathaniel Santiago said, amid forecasts the typhoon would make landfall on Saturday. "There is a possibility that this will become a super typhoon." The government defines a super typhoon as one with winds reaching 175-200 kilometres per hour (110-125 miles per hour) with the potential to cause heavy damage.

While Parma is likely to bring less than half the rains of Saturday's tropical storm Ketsana, it was expected to compound flooding in Manila, parts of which remain submerged due to blocked drainage systems.

Ketsana dumped the heaviest rains in four decades on Manila and in surrounding areas on Luzon island, triggering floods that swamped the national capital with up to six metres (20 feet) of water. Ketsana has left 277 dead so far in the Philippines, according to the government, and killed about 100 more after pounding Vietnam and Cambodia.

EDIT

http://www.terradaily.com/reports/Philippines_on_full_typhoon_alert_999.html

[OffWithTheirHeads]

1. I think they should change the spelling to Pharma

Big Pharma. Wreaking death and destruction in it's wake.