Thousands of residents in the coastal provinces of Leyte and Samar were evacuated on Monday as Typhoon Tino approached. It had maximum sustained winds of 120 kilometers per hour and gusts of up to 150 kph, according to the national weather service.
According to Roel Montesa, disaster official in Leyte, evacuations are continuing in Palo and Tanauan, areas that were previously devastated in 2013 when Super Typhoon Yolanda struck, killing more than 6,000 people.
On the neighboring island of Samar, Randy Nicart from the civil defense said that 3-meter wave heights are expected, prompting several local governments to implement mandatory evacuations, especially in the town of Guiuan where the storm is expected to hit.
In the Dinagat Islands, Governor Nilo Demerey reported that between ₱10,000 and ₱15,000 people were evacuated in preparation. Joy Conales added that Loreto residents have been ordered to move to safer areas to avoid rising water.
According to climate experts, typhoons are getting stronger due to climate change. PAGASA also noted that the number of typhoons often increases during La Niña, and it is possible that there will be three to five typhoons before the end of December.
