MANILA, Dec. 26 (UPI) — The strongest typhoon to hit the Philippines since 1945 slammed the island country late Christmas Day, bringing death, destruction, stranding thousands and killing four.
Although Typhoon Nock-ten has weakened since making landfall last night, the storm still packs heavy winds and rain and could cause massive damage to Manila, capital of the Philippines, when it gets there Monday night.
Four people are reported to have died as a result of events tied to the storm, including a couple swept away during a flood and an elderly man who died when a wall collapsed.
More than 11,000 passengers, 1,000 cargo ships and a dozen other ships were stranded in the Philippines until the storm completely passed, with officials saying they think ports will start opening again in the next several hours.
As of 4 p.m. local time, the eye of Nock-ten, or Nina as it is called locally, was about 40 miles southwest of Subic, moving west-northwest at about 12 miles per hour. Nock-ten has maximum sustained winds of 75 miles per hour at the center, with gusts up to 111 miles per hour.
The storm is expected to start clearing the Philippines sometime early Wednesday and to be completely off land by Thursday, according to the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Sciences Administration.
“We continue to pray, stay positive and stay alert,” said Camarines Sur Governor Miguel Luis Villafuerte.
