Typhoon Kammuri Hits Philippines, Killing at Least 3, Displacing 500,000 More

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The Philippines reopened its main airport late Tuesday as Typhoon Kammuri heads to the South China Sea, leaving at least three people dead and displacing half a million more.

Ninoy Aquino International Airport’s runways were opened at 6 p.m. local time to allow airlines to bring back their aircraft to Manila, General Manager Ed Monreal said in a statement. Regular flight operations will resume at 11 p.m.

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte canceled government work in Metro Manila, while schools were closed as Kammuri battered most of Luzon island Tuesday. The foreign exchange and stock markets were open.

About half a million people evacuated as the typhoon slammed into Luzon before midnight on Monday. Authorities originally planned to close Manila’s airport for 12 hours from 11 a.m. Tuesday, prompting the cancellation of about 500 flights.

The storm locally known as Tisoy brought violent winds and intense rainfall over the southern portion of Luzon and weakened after passing through several provinces. It’s packing maximum winds of 130 kilometers per hour near the center and gusts of up to 160 kph, the nation’s weather bureau said in its 8 p.m. report.

Frequent heavy rains will continue until Wednesday morning in the capital and nearby provinces. The storm is forecast to leave Philippine waters and head to the South China Sea Thursday.

Two people were killed in Oriental Mindoro province, Governor Humerlito Dolor told DZMM radio. A 33-year-old man who was repairing his roof died of electrocution in Camarines Sur province on Monday.

Electricity was shut in 10 areas in Luzon as strong winds toppled power lines.

Naga was not directly hit, but the upper part of the eye wall skirted the city bringing in very strong gusts of wind with heavy rains captured in this night vision camera. No wind measuring device but its hard to stand if the gust of wind blows. #TisoyPH
pic.twitter.com/RZL9h6MKER
— GMA News (@gmanews) Dec. 2, 2019

Ayala Land Inc., Robinsons Land Inc. and SM Prime Holdings Inc. malls waived overnight parking fees to allow customers to wait out the storm.

Powerful winds ripped apart walls and shattered windows of the airport in Albay province, while uprooting trees in Samar province, ABS-CBN News reported. Organizers of the 30th Southeast Asian Games suspended canoe-kayak and windsurfing competitions.

The Supreme Court shut all courts in Metro Manila, while an international conference organized by the Philippine central bank was canceled.

WATCH: #TisoyPH making its presence felt in Catbalogan City in Samar | @RexRemitio

Rommel Aquino III pic.twitter.com/1pWKZloHJS
— CNN Philippines (@cnnphilippines) Dec. 3, 2019

Kammuri is the 20th storm to hit the Philippines in 2019 where about 20 cyclones pass through each year. In 2013, Super Typhoon Haiyan killed more than 6,300 people in the Southeast Asian nation.

–With assistance from Andreo Calonzo and Claire Jiao.

Photograph: Residential properties stand along the waterfront in Manila, the Philippines, on Friday, June 14, 2019. Photographer: Veejay Villafranca/Bloomberg.