People in the northern Philippines were bracing for landslides on Monday after five rescue workers were killed in the aftermath of Typhoon Noru, which made landfall on Sunday and is now heading for Vietnam.
The typhoon, known locally as Typhoon Karding, intensified rapidly from Saturday to Sunday, arriving as a super typhoon at its peak of around 160 miles per hour (more than 250kph).
The typhoon gathered power incredibly quickly, going from the equivalent of a Category 1 hurricane to Category 5 in just six hours. The stronger the wind speed of a typhoon or hurricane, the more powerful it is and destructive it’s likely to be. The rapid intensification right before landfall likely meant locals had little, if any, time to prepare for the much stronger storm.
It blasted the main island of Luzon on Sunday, before weakening Monday to a Category 2-equivalent typhoon, according to the US Joint Typhoon Warning Center. The storm is picking up strength again, however, as it approaches Vietnam.
The bodies of the five rescue workers killed have been recovered in the country’s northern Bulacan province, according to Richard Gordon, chair of the Philippines Red Cross. He said landslides were expected in more rural and mountainous regions, adding to the fear of further casualties.
