One man was killed from severe head injuries when struck by an uprooted coconut tree at the height of Typhoon Surigae in the Philippines' southern province of Leyte, as the storm continues to unleash powerful winds and pour heavy rains in Bicol and Eastern Visayas, the Philippine News Agency reported Monday.
Around 50,000 residents in Bicol have been ordered to preemptively evacuate as a result of the potential hazards of the typhoon named Bising locally.
The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration said Bising was 250 kilometers (149 miles) east-northeast of Virac, Catanduanes, before dawn Monday, packing maximum sustained winds of 195 kilometers (121 miles per hour) per hour and gustiness of up to 240 km/h.
"Under these conditions, flooding (including flashfloods) and rain-induced landslides are increasingly likely to occur especially in areas identified in hazard maps as highly or very highly susceptible to these hazards," weather bureau PAGASA warned.
In San Jose, Northern Samar, a 40-year old man went missing when he and three other companions ventured into the sea to gather livestock from a nearby islet, PNA said.
Around 1,196 passengers, 520 vehicles, and 17 sea vessels have been stranded because of rough seas in different parts of Northern Samar and Southern Leyte provinces, according to the report.
Power outages and heavy flooding have been reported in 66 villages north and south of the provinces. All inbound and outbound flights have been canceled since Saturday.
"Bising is forecast to maintain its current intensity in the next 12 to 24 hours before slowly weakening throughout the remainder of the forecast period," the weather bureau said.
Meanwhile, in the Philippines' main island of Luzon, authorities will release water from the Magat Dam in Isabela reservoir Tuesday morning as a precautionary measure for the heavy rainfall.
