Thousands of people fled their homes as Typhoon Bopha made landfall in the southern Philippines today.
The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council reported that as of this morning total, local time, 8,283 families or 41,608 individuals in Eastern Visayas, Northern Mindanao, Davao, and Caraga regions had fled to evacuation centers. Schools and businesses were closed as authorities warned people to move to higher ground to escape flashfloods from the year’s most powerful storm to date. At least 3,000 passengers were stranded in seaports around the country. Airline companies also announced that over 80 domestic flights were grounded due to bad weather.Two people were killed in Mindanao after being hit by falling trees, according to official reports.
A power outage prompted residents in Cagayan de Oro City to flock to hotels while others took shelter in nearby shopping centers. Several foreign embassies have advised their nationals to monitor the typhoon's track and take heed of Philippine officials' advisories. "In the event the typhoon affects where you live, locate shelter, monitor media reports, and follow all official instructions," the US told its nationals in an advisory today.