Typhoon Kammuri Leaves Philippine Landmass With Severe Damage in its Wake

Typhoon Kammuri has now left the landmass after ravaging some islands in the Philippines, according to the country's weather institute.

The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) released a statement on Tuesday afternoon local time that the typhoon locally called "Tisoy" is already 110 kilometers (68.35 miles) away from the northwest of San Jose, Occidental Mindoro.

The storm also had weakened but still classified as a typhoon. Flood warnings were also issued on multiple regions, including the Metro Manila. In order to secure the safety of students, classes up to college-level were suspended in multiple areas such as in Metro Manila and the Bicol region, according to local online-based news site Rappler.

The Wrath of Kammuri

Super Typhoon Kammuri rapidly strengthened after making its first landfall on the city of Gubat, Sorsogon on Monday evening local time. From Category 1 speed of 80mph (128.75 km/h), it has dashed to 130mph (209.21 km/h) or a Category 4 hurricane based on the Saffir-Simpsons Hurrican Scale overnight. During midnight on Tuesday local time (or 11 a.m. Monday EST), the storm eye moved to the Bicol region of Luzon. Legaspi City, situated in the province of Albay, was the most affected area.

Authorities of Albay has evacuated at least 100,000 people, according to the state-owned Philippines News Agency. Al Francis Bichara, governor of Albay, even deployed the police force and instructed them to bring the residents to the nearest evacuation camps even through forcing them.

Some local airlines like Cebu Pacific and Philippine Airlines have cancelled multiple flights because of the storm. The Ninoy Aquino International Airport in Manila has also suspended its operation, according to local news agency ABS-CBN.

The 2019 Southeast Asian Games (SEAG), a regional athletic competition that the Philippines is currently hosting, also has postponed some of its games, local news agency Inquirer reported. This includes Game of Skate, polo matches, beach volleyballs, and various games that take place at the sea. The training sessions for e-Sports were also rescheduled.

The game had begun on Saturday and was participated with more than 8,000 athletes from the 11 members of ASEAN countries.

The storm made four landfalls in total, with the last one located in Oriental Mindoro on the early afternoon of December 3. The governor of Oriental Mindoro, Hurnelito Dolor, reported two fatalities -- a man who died from an accident while clearing his backyard and another one died after the kitchen roof collapsed.

There is still no available information about the total cost of the damage brought by the storm.

Due to its geographical location, the Philippines is the most storm-exposed country in the world. Yearly, the country often deals with at eight to nine storms. In 2013, Typhoon Haiyan ravaged the country and killed at least 10,000 people, making it the deadliest storm ever.