Typhoon Koppu floods northern Philippines: 11 dead

MANILA: The army and other agencies were called in to rescue the people marooned by floods caused by typhoon Koppu in northern Philippines. Tropical storm, known as Lando in the Philippines, caused widespread rain, flooding and damages in the country's main northern island of Luzon. The battering will continue, bringing more flash floods and mudslides. Over two feet of rain has already been reported.

Starting in east-coast Aurora province where the eye of the storm lay, typhoon Koppu began its devastating sweep across the coastal provinces Sunday. Eleven people were dead, and 65,000 villagers rendered homeless. Nine provinces went without electricity. By early Tuesday Koppu weakened over Ilocos Norte province. The wind speed came down to 65 mph although high speed gusts are foorecast by weathermen to continue for days causing more damages. Nueva Ecija province in Luzon island and Bakun in Benguet province were the worst affected. Even some outskirts of Manila was also affected.

Nine million residents of Luzon, 10 percent of the Philippines population, were without power when the storm was at peak strength Sunday afternoon, according to the Philippines National Disaster Risk and Reduction Management Council.

Threat of extreme rainfall and flooding still looms. One to two feet of rain across much of northern Luzon is likely. The current Koppu has become a costly natural disaster in Philippine history.

Typhoons are a common feature of the Philippines. In 2013, Haiyan lashed central Philippines killing several thousands.