Philippines Starts Evacuations Before Super Typhoon Ruby Strikes

Dec 04, 2014 06:25 AM EST

(Photo : Reuters) Residents with their belongings ride on a tricycle cab to an evacuation center in Tacloban city, central Philippines December 4, 2014. Schools and government offices were shut in parts of the central Philippines on Thursday and residents stocked up on supplies and food, as provinces yet to recover from last year's devastating super-typhoon Haiyan braced for another category 5 storm. Typhoon Hagupit was churning across the Pacific around 860 km (585 miles) east of the island nation on Thursday, the local weather bureau said, packing winds of up to 195 kph (120 mph) with gusts of up to 230 kph. REUTERS/Stringer (PHILIPPINES - Tags: DISASTER)

Philippine officials are not taking any chances this time, unlike a year ago when the Southeast Asian nation caught residents of the Visayas islands unprepared when Super Typhoon Haiyan (Yolanda) battered the country and killed more than 6,000 people.

Days before another super typhoon named Ruby (Hagupit) hits the same region, people are starting to evacuate before the weather disturbance ravages the area again. Schools are cancelled In Ormoc City, while evacuations are ongoing in Eastern Samar and Leyte provinces, the hardest hit in November 2013 when Haiyan destroyed homes, infrastructure, agriculture and lives.

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The Joint Typhoon Warning Center has classified Ruby a super typhoon, the same classification as Haiyan, which is the strongest storm to hit land. Weather forecasters warned Ruby carries maximum winds of 195 kilometers per hour and it has high chances of traveling the same path that the mega destructive Haiyan did, Bloomberg reports.

Southern Leyte Governor Roger Mercado said local officials and emergency crew from the Red Cross, army and Coast Guard are prepared for rivers to overflow, landslides, flash floods and heavy downpours. Residents are monitoring radio and TV stations for updates from the weather bureau, while people have started to store food and bring out their disaster kits.

Since the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation meeting next week is in the likely path of Ruby, the government changed the venue from Legazpi to Manila, reports The Guardian.

After Haiyan caused major damage to the country in 2013, many Filipinos are now preparing ahead of Ruby, unlike in the past when many refuse to evacuate their homes until water enters. This is because the country is used to storms with an average of 20 hitting the Philippines annually.

However, due to climate change, typhoons have become stronger and more fatal as what Filipinos experienced during Haiyan's wrath and fury.

Hagupit, the local name of Ruby, means whip in the local language, and with early preparations, the typhoon-weary nation is hopeful they would avoid Ruby's whiplash on the country's economy.

TagsSuper Typhoon, haiyan, ruby