Reuters
The Philippines evacuated thousands of people to safer ground, stockpiled food, closed schools and canceled flights as the country prepares for Typhoon Hagupit, a category-5 storm expected to make landfall on Saturday. The government wants to evacuate some 15,000 families from Tacloban, devastated 13 months ago by a typhoon in which about 6,000 people perished. About 10,000 people have been evacuated in Dinagat Islands and Leyte provinces, according to officials. Hagupit, which means “whip” in Filipino, was 270 miles east of Eastern Samar province in central Philippines, maintaining strength as it moves toward land, with maximum winds of 134 miles per hour and gusts reaching 155 mph, officials said. It may may pass through Metro Manila on December 9.