(MENAFN- The Peninsula) PAGUDPUD, PHILIPPINES:Super TyphoonHaima, the strongest storm to hit the Philippines in threeyears, ripped through major rice growing regions, damaging cropsand houses, and forced more than 90,000 people to flee to saferground, officials said on Thursday.
There were no immediate reports of casualties from Haimawhich hit the northern Philippines late on Wednesday withdestructive 225 kmh (140 mph) winds and heavy rain.
"We have received several reports of roofs that were rippedoff because of strong winds," said Mina Marasigan, spokeswomanat the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council.
"Power lines have been cut off and mobile phone signals wereintermittent."
Haima, the 12th typhoon to hit the Philippines this year,comes just days after Typhoon Sarika also slammed into thenorthern provinces, damaging 3 billion pesos ($63 million) worthof crops.
Haima hit the country's major rice-growing provinces such asCagayan, Isabela and Ilocos provinces, which were due to produceabout 3.8 million tonnes of unmilled rice in the December
quarter, or half of the projected national output, based on agovernment forecast.
Some rice fields were inundated and roads were not passablebecause of fallen electric posts and trees and floods.
Authorities said they had begun crop damage assessments.
Isabela's Governor Faustino Dy III advised people in hisprovince to stay indoors, including those displaced families whosought shelter in evacuation centres, as the local governmentstarted clearing the roads of debris.
Storm warning signals were lifted in some areas, includingMetro Manila, where schools were shut.
Haima on Thursday weakened as it moved away from thePhilippines and over the South China Sea. It is expected toreach China by Friday.
An average of 20 typhoons hit the Southeast Asian nationevery year. Super Typhoon Haiyan struck the central Philippinesin 2013, killing at least 6,000 people.
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