Typhoon Hagupit 'Smash' Philippines With 150mph Winds, Thousands Evacuate as PHL

A powerful storm with winds nearing 150mph is heading for the central Philippines, prompting an outbreak of panic-buying as villagers flee coastal homes. The anticipated arrival in Eastern Samar province on Saturday of Typhoon Hagupit - Filipino for "smash" - comes a year after Typhoon Haiyan left more than 7,300 dead as it swept inland along the same route. Meteorologists tracking it over the Pacific, 435 miles off the country's eastern coast, say it has sustained winds of 127mph and gusts as high as 149mph. Haiyan survivor Emily Sagales said many of her neighbours in central Tacloban city, which was ravaged by Haiyan, had packed their clothes and fled to a sports stadium and safer homes of relatives. She said long queues had formed at food stores and petrol stations as residents stocked up on basic goods. The 23-year-old, who saw her mother-in-law killed and her home washed away in Haiayan, gave birth to her first child in a crowded makeshift clinic following the disaster. "The trauma has returned," she said. "It's worse now because I didn't have a baby to worry about last year." Haiyan destroyed around one million homes and displaced some four million people in the central Philippines, and hundreds of residents still living in tents in Tacloban have been prioritised in an ongoing evacuation. Hotels in Tacloban, a city of more than 200,000 people still struggling to recover from last year's damage, were running out of rooms as wealthier families booked ahead for the weekend. Roan Florendo, of the hilltop Leyte Park hotel, said: "The sun is still shining but people are obviously scared. Almost all of our rooms have been booked." The military has been put on full alert and evacuation centres have been opened, while food packs, medicines and body bags have been transported to far-flung villages that could be cut off by heavy rains. In capital Manila, President Benigno Aquino III held an emergency meeting of disaster-response agencies and ordered steps to prevent panic-buying and hoarding of goods. He checked on the readiness of Philippine air force aircraft, hospitals and police contingency plans, amid fears of a repeat of the looting that happened in Tacloban after Haiyan crippled the city's police force. "I think we've been challenged worse by Yolanda," Mr Aquino said, referring to Haiyan's local name. Typhoon 'Smash': 150mph Winds To Hit Philippines Super Typhoon Hagupit poses deadly threat to Philippines ISS Flyby of the Super Typhoon Hagupit Super Typhoon Hagupit RubyPH #RubyPH | Philippines Super Typhoon Ruby, no longer 'super,' closes in on E Visayas ALERT | Super Typhoon Hagupit RubyPH Track: Luzon & Manila Possibility Typhoon #RubyPH (Hagupit) Projected Track as plotted in PAG-ASA forecast track Philippines prepares for Super Typhoon Ruby (Hagupit) Philippines Bracing for Powerful Typhoon Thousands flee as weakened typhoon nears east Philippines; erratic path puts Manila on alert Millions evacuate in the Philippines ahead of Typhoon Hagupit Typhoon Hagupit: People flee homes as panic grips Philippines eastern coast; 2000 travellers stranded in capital Manila NCRPO on full alert for Typhoon Ruby Millions evacuate as Typhoon Ruby bears down on PH Cardinal Tagle issues obligatory prayer vs Ruby Typhoon Ruby: 47 provinces at 'high risk' Thousands evacuate as PHL braces for Typhoon Ruby Powerful Typhoon Hagupit nears Philippines Philippines braces for erratic typhoon Millions evacuate as typhoon bears down on Philippines Differing forecasts widen scope of Typhoon Hagupit Thousands evacuate as Philippines braces for typhoon Hagupit Differing forecasts widen scope of Typhoon Hagupit Philippines Bracing for Powerful Typhoon Typhoon Haiyan,Super Typhoon Haiyan,Typhoon Haiyan,Red Cross,Roger Mercado,Japan Meteorological Agency,Tropical Storm Risk, Joint Typhoon Warning Center,Category 5 Storm,Natural Disasters,Extreme Weather,Hurricanes Philippines,Typhoon Haiyan,Typhoon Asia,Philippines Typhoon Evacuations,Philippines Typhoon Hagupit,Hagupit,Hagupit Typhoon, Storm Asia,Storm Evacuations,Philippines Storm,Extreme Weather natural calamities,Super Typhoon Haiyan,Typhoon Hagupit,Typhoon Ruby,weatheralert,Bicol,Hagupit,PAGASA. Eastern Visayas,disasters,emergencies,evacuation,severe,typhoons,RubyPH,NDRRMC, Typhoon Hit Philippines,Super Typhoon Hagupit,Typhoon RubyPH,Super Typhoon Ruby,Powerful Typhoon Hit Philippines,Philippines Bracing Powerful Typhoon,Typhoon Hagupit,alert for Typhoon Ruby,PHL braces for Typhoon Ruby,Powerful Typhoon Hagupit Philippines,Philippines Powerful Typhoon,Philippines erratic typhoon,Philippines braces typhoon Hagupit,Super Typhoon Haiyan,natural calamities,Philippines weatheralert,Arrival of Typhoon Hagupit,Typhoon Asia,Philippines Typhoon Evacuations,Storm Asia,Storm Evacuations,Philippines Storm,