Koppu Leaves Trail of Destruction in The Philippines
MANILA — Tropical Storm Koppu (with local name Lando) weakens as it moves forth from the Philippines’ main island of Luzon, behinds it’s path are accounts of devastation in the country’s essential farming region. Displacing more than 7,000 villagers finding shelter in evacuation centres.
At least 39 people were killed in flooding and landslides triggered by the heavy rains
The government is conducting an emergency meeting to determine if importation of rice is necessary to cope up with the loss.
The conference had been scheduled for next week to stab the preparation for drought which according to weather experts predictions suggest could be brought by the El Nino phenomenon.
But officials from The National Food Authority (NFA) mentioned to KLIPP TV the meeting would be held earlier within this week, after some 400,000 tons of rice fields were devastated by Koppu.
Koppu is currently over the Balintang channel 160 km East Southeast of Basco, Batanes, and has weakened to a low pressure area, the national waether agency said, and the weather is improving.
