Typhoon Goni Impacts: 5 Killed By Mudslides, Strong Winds in Philippines

August 21,2015
Typhoon Goni raked the northern Philippines on Friday, and its damaging winds and mudslides killed at least five people and left two missing.
All five of the deceased are males, and four of the five were killed in mudslides, according to the nation's National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council. The fifth was killed after being pinned by a tree. Four others were injured in the storm that spawned two destructive tornadoes. Dozens of homes were destroyed by the twisters.
"Goni has been a slightly lopsided typhoon lately. The southern semicircle has had more thunderstorm activity than the northern half. And Goni has been in the perfect location to increase the southwest monsoon, known as the habagat, helping to spawn even more thunderstorms well away from the eye of the typhoon," said weather.com senior meteorologist Nick Wiltgen. "As a result we've seen reports of over a foot (300 millimeters) of rain in several locations, with more rain to come."
(MORE: Twin Typhoons Threaten the Western Pacific)
A landslide in northern Mountain province killed a 10-year-old boy and injured his 9-year-old brother, said civil defense official Andrew Alex Uy.
In the adjacent province of Benguet, two brothers died in another landslide while seeking temporary shelter in Bakun town, he added. Other deaths included a man who was pinned by a tree while two are missing in strong river currents.
Power outages were reported early Saturday in Laoag City and Ilocos Norte, The Philippine Daily Enquirer reported. Metro Manila and other areas are under a yellow alert.
The Department of Social Welfare and Development reported evacuation centers were housing 135 families from villages in Batanes and Cagayan, according to the Philippine Star. Disaster teams are on continuous alert in the case aid and resources are required, the report added.
Multiple roadways in several provinces have been affected, many of which are impassable or closed.
Several flights and ferry trips have been canceled, and about 1,000 residents were evacuated ahead of the storm.
Information from the Associated Press was used in this report.
MORE: Typhoon Soudelor Hits Taiwan, China