AS IT IS 2015-10-21 Typhoon Koppu Leaves 17 Dead in Philippines

AS IT IS 2015-10-21 Typhoon Koppu Leaves 17 Dead in Philippines

Typhoon Koppu was downgraded Monday to a tropical storm, but killed at least 17 people and submerged entire towns in northwestern Philippines.

Luzon, the country’s largest island, received 15 days of rain in one day.  

A 650-kilometer-wide storm cloud blanketed the region and produced 150-kilometer per hour winds.

Floodwaters from the Pampanga River in central Luzon's Nueva Ecija province reached rooftops. Rice fields are completely submerged. Some crops and farmland may be 100-percent damaged.

Floodwaters are receding¹ from some towns but in Cabiao, the water is still rising.

Some areas are starting to see better weather, but at least 100 roads and bridges were damaged by landslides³, flooding or fallen trees.

Over 70-thousand people are staying in shelters and close to 300-thousand people are affected⁴ by the storm.

On Monday, 16 flights were grounded and more than 5,000 ferry passengers were stranded⁵ at piers⁶.

Five provinces are without power.

Better weather is coming, but the Philippines must begin recovering from the huge storm.

The government is trying to send aid to several towns cut off by landslides.

Koppu is the 12th storm this year to strike the Philippines. That country gets an average of 20 storms and typhoons each year.

In 2013, Typhoon Haiyan, one of the most ferocious⁷ storms on record to reach land, leveled entire towns. More than 7,300 people died or were missing.

Words in This Story

typhoon – n. an extremely large, powerful, and destructive storm that occurs especially in the region of the Philippines or the China Sea

blanket – v. to cover (something)

submerge – v.  to make (someone or something) go under the surface of water or some other liquid : to cover (someone or something) with a liquid

landslide² – n. a large mass of rocks and earth that suddenly and quickly moves down the side of a mountain or hill

ferry – n. a boat that is used to carry people and things for a short distance between two places 

1 receding   

v.逐渐远离( recede的现在分词 )；向后倾斜；自原处后退或避开别人的注视；尤指问题

参考例句：

• Desperately he struck out after the receding lights of the yacht. 游艇的灯光渐去渐远，他拼命划水追赶。 来自辞典例句
• Sounds produced by vehicles receding from us seem lower-pitched than usual. 渐渐远离我们的运载工具发出的声似乎比平常的音调低。 来自辞典例句

2 landslide   

n.(竞选中)压倒多数的选票；一面倒的胜利

参考例句：

• Our candidate is predicated to win by a landslide.我们的候选人被预言将以绝对优势取胜。
• An electoral landslide put the Labour Party into power in 1945.1945年工党以压倒多数的胜利当选执政。

3 landslides   

山崩( landslide的名词复数 )； （山坡、悬崖等的）崩塌； 滑坡； （竞选中）一方选票占压倒性多数

参考例句：

• Landslides have cut off many villages in remote areas. 滑坡使边远地区的许多村庄与外界隔绝。
• The storm caused landslides and flooding in Savona. 风暴致使萨沃纳发生塌方和洪灾。

4 affected   

adj.不自然的，假装的

参考例句：

• She showed an affected interest in our subject.她假装对我们的课题感到兴趣。
• His manners are affected.他的态度不自然。

5 stranded   

a.搁浅的，进退两难的

参考例句：

• He was stranded in a strange city without money. 他流落在一个陌生的城市里， 身无分文，一筹莫展。
• I was stranded in the strange town without money or friends. 我困在那陌生的城市，既没有钱，又没有朋友。

6 piers   

n.水上平台( pier的名词复数 )；（常设有娱乐场所的）突堤；柱子；墙墩

参考例句：

• Most road bridges have piers rising out of the vally. 很多公路桥的桥墩是从河谷里建造起来的。 来自辞典例句
• At these piers coasters and landing-craft would be able to discharge at all states of tide. 沿岸航行的海船和登陆艇，不论潮汐如何涨落，都能在这种码头上卸载。 来自辞典例句

7 ferocious   

adj.凶猛的，残暴的，极度的，十分强烈的

参考例句：

• The ferocious winds seemed about to tear the ship to pieces.狂风仿佛要把船撕成碎片似的。
• The ferocious panther is chasing a rabbit.那只凶猛的豹子正追赶一只兔子。