Supertyphoon Lawin nearly sweeps away houses, uproots trees

Super Typhoon Lawin (Haima), the strongest cyclone to hit the Philippines in three years, toppled power and communication lines, damaged houses and displaced thousands as it made landfall in the north of the country.

There were no immediate reports of casualties.

Fear of massive damage from the category 5 storm, with destructive 225 kmh (140 mph) winds before it crossed the Cagayan province coast on Wednesday, saw schools and government offices shut in many parts of the main Luzon island and several flights canceled.

Lawin weakened over land on Thursday, prompting the weather bureau to lift storm warning signals in some areas. It exited the landmass via Ilocos Norte province on Thursday morning and is expected to move out of the Philippine Area of Responsibility by Thursday evening.

Mina Marasigan, spokeswoman at the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council, said the agency has received several reports of infrastructure damage particularly in Cagayan but so far there were no confirmed reports of any casualties.

"We have received several reports of roofs that were ripped off because of strong winds. Even the operations center of the Office of Civil Defense in (Cagayan) was not spared, she said.

"Power lines have been cut off and mobile phone signals were intermittent."

Isabela Governor Faustino Dy III advised people in his province to stay indoors, including those displaced families in evacuation centers.

"The rivers are still swelling. They must wait for local officials to announce if it is safe to go out," he said in a radio interview.

Many trees were uprooted in Isabela province that blocked highways due to continous rains and winds, Unang Balita reported.

Some houses were also damaged, GMA News' Katrina Son reported.

Ilang mga kabahayan ang nasira rito sa Isabela bunsod ng Super Typhoon Lawin #LawinPH pic.twitter.com/9MxskuMjfW

— Katrina Son (@iamKatrinaSon) October 20, 2016

Ilocos Norte felt strong winds that almost forced trees to fall while other areas of the province also experienced power outtages.

The province of Batanes was also slammed by strong winds.

Zero visibility was observed in Baguio City due to heavy rains. One vehicle was damaged by a flyring GI sheet.

In a separate report, GMA News' Victoria Tulad said three landslide incidents prevented vehicles to pass Apok's Trail and Kennon Road.

A city-wide blackout also affected Baguio City after power lines fell, the report added.

Benguet Electric Cooperative personnel could not determine when they can restore power in Baguio City as power lines were severely damaged.

Around 1,000 families were also brought to evacuation centers.

In Nueva Ecija, houses in Brgy. Ligaya in Gabaldon were nearly swept away when a nearby river overflowed its banks, a report on News To Go on Thursday said.

In a You Scoop video by Jason Pejer, houses made of nipa and bamboo were seen half-submerged in the river.

Constant rainfall made the current in the river stronger and made the water reach more than five feet in depth.

While not directly hit by the typhoon, 10 barangays in Calasiao, Pangasinan were submerged in up to six feet of flood water, GMA News' John Consulta reported.

The report said flood water even went as high as eight feet after Sinukalan River in Calasiao, which reached critical level, overflowed.

The typhoon also damaged several houses and a vehicle after a mango tree branch fell on it.

Around 200 people were brought to evacuation centers.

Meanwhile, tons of garbage spread through Manila Bay due to high waves.

Styrofoam, plastic, and bottles of soft drinks were among the stuff found along Roxas Boulevard and Baywalk on Thursday.

At past 4 a.m., the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) started the cleanup.

The storm surge also caused a gutter-deep flood in the area.

The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) in Manila has declared the area to be a no-walk zone.

Meanwhile, residents near the Manila Bay have preemptively evacuated their homes in Barangay 101, Tondo, Manila.

A separate report by Bam Alegre on Unang Balita said that due to the low-lying location of their residences, 55 families gathered in a covered basketball court.

Some areas in the barangay already had chin-deep floods due to high tide and heavy rains caused by supertyphoon Lawin.

The residents were cooperative and followed the barangay officials' directive to flee, the report said.

Casualties

There were no confirmed typhoon-related casualties yet other than the death of a 70-year-old man who reportedly succumbed to heart attack while in an evacuation center in Isabela.

Lawin is the 12th typhoon to hit the Philippines this year. An average of 20 typhoons hit the Southeast Asian nation every year. Super Typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan) struck the central Philippines in 2013, killing at least 6,000 people. —Reuters; Jessica Bartolome, Joseph Tristan Roxas, Rie Takumi and Erwin Colcol/KG/RSJ, GMA News