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                  Typhoon Hagupit Batters Eastern Philippines

   by VOA News

   Typhoon Hagupit is making its way across the central Philippines after
   making landfall on the east coast overnight. The massive storm has
   winds as high as 210 kilometers per hour.

   Local weather agency Pagasa said Sunday that the storm crashed into
   remote fishing communities of Samar Island tearing roofs off buildings
   and sending them flying into the Pacific Ocean.

   Power is out throughout the region and the roads are covered with trees
   and tin roofs.
   "As soon as roads are cleared our air operations can commence because
   in some areas right now like in Samar, we are awaiting the clearance
   for the aircraft to fly, then the initial relief operations will
   start,'' said National Disaster Agency spokesman Alexander Pama.

   Forecasters say Hagupit may take three days to cross the central
   Philippines. More than a million people have been evacuated from
   coastal villages and areas prone to landslides and placed in temporary
   shelters.

   The military is on full alert to respond to any major problems.

   Meteorologists say Typhoon Hagupit is the strongest storm to strike the
   Philippines this year, but is not as powerful as last year's Typhoon
   Haiyan, which killed more than 7,300 people and brought some of the
   strongest winds ever recorded on land.

   Thousands of victims of Haiyan are still living in tents a year after
   it took roughly the same path as Hagupit.
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   [1]http://www.voanews.com/content/typhoon-hagupit-batters-eastern-phili
   ppines/2549018.html

References

   1. http://www.voanews.com/content/typhoon-hagupit-batters-eastern-philippines/2549018.html