Philippines braces for new storm
Published:Friday | October 2, 2009 | 5:37 PM
The Philippines has ordered the evacuation of thousands of people from some areas in the path of a second powerful typhoon to hit the country in a week.
Typhoon Parma is expected to hit the main island of Luzon, north of the capital Manila, early tomorrow.
Officials fear a second disaster, after Typhoon Ketsana caused the worst floods in the Philippines in decades.
Ketsana caused nearly 300 deaths in the Philippines, as well as more than 100 in Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos.
Parts of the Philippines near Manila remain flooded after Ketsana dropped a month\'s worth of rain in 12 hours last Saturday.
The military and police have been placed on alert and civilian agencies have been ordered to stockpile food, water and medicine.
The Philippine weather bureau says Parma, with winds of up to 140 miles per hour will be the strongest typhoon to hit the country since 2006.
The Pan American Health Organisation today offered to make available, an experienced regional response team to assist the region affected by the tsunami and earthquake that struck Samoa and Sumatra.