Flood rescues as Philippine typhoon death toll climbs to 11

But farming and fishing communities on Mindoro island south of Manila were still enduring heavy flooding.

With Onyok’s entry, Aurelio said they hoisted storm signal 1 over at least 11 provinces in Mindanao including Davao del Sur and Davao del Norte, Surigao del Sur and Surigao del Norte, Agusan del Sur and Agusan del Norte as well as Bukidnon. Unexpectedly heavy rain totaling over 771 mm (30.4 inches) fell over northeastern Luzon.

Shoulder deep in flood waters, residents in the centre of the Philippines are struggling with the aftermath of yet another typhoon that has killed at least 41 people.

A Filipino woman takes shelter from rain caused by Typhoon Melor as the lowest level storm signal warning has been raised in Manila, Philippines Tuesday, Dec. 15, 2015.

“I think I’ll be trapped here again”, he said.

Most of the deaths from Typhoon Melor were caused by drowning or flying debris, according to the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council. Five people were listed as missing.

“Typhoon Melor did not make landfall at the Luisita Golf and Country Club which is located about a two-hour drive from Manila but heavy rainfall has forced us to postpone the start of the event and reduce it to three rounds”.

More than 935 million pesos ($19.71 million) worth of infrastructure and farmland were devastated as up to 300 mm (12 inches) of rain inundated rice paddies on the main island of Luzon and strong winds uprooted trees, the disaster agency said. However a new, albeit weaker, storm was forecast to hit the poor farming region of Canada in the main southern island of Mindanao late Friday, the weather bureau said.

Meanwhile, another report said that the Philippine Supreme Court on Wednesday put off for a second time a decision on the legality of a new security agreement with the United States, raising fresh doubt about a deal that would give USforces access to Philippine military bases.

The Philippines suffers around 20 typhoons and storms each year, many of them deadly.

In 2013, a typhoon known as Haiyan wiped out entire communities in the central islands, killing more than 6,000 people, and displacing millions; entire towns were flattened on the central islands of Leyte and Samar.