Thousands evacuate as the Philippines braces for Super Typhoon Rai
CNN
Tens of thousands of people have evacuated their homes in the Philippines as the archipelago braces for Super Typhoon Rai, known locally as Odette, which is expected to pass through the southern and central portions of the country on Thursday afternoon.
The storm rapidly intensified on Thursday morning and was upgraded from a typhoon to a super typhoon, reaching sustained winds of 260 kilometers per hour (160 miles per hour) with gusts over 300 kilometers per hour (185 miles per hour) -- equivalent to a Category 5 hurricane in the Atlantic.
Parts of the Philippines already began receiving torrential rainfall early in the week; in central Misamis Oriental province, the Agay-ayan River overflowed on Tuesday, flooding streets and homes with muddy brown water.
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