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Typhoon Yutu barrels towards the archipelago has become one of the most powerful storms to hit U.S. soil.
As of Monday, Typhoon Yutu was a category Tuesday morning with heavy winds of 106 mph and gusts up to 130 mph, Reuters reports. Nine provinces in the Luzon region, where half of the Philippines' population lives, were given a warning signal of 2 out of 5.
Known locally as Rosita, the storm has lost momentum since it rammed the Northern Mariana Islands, a US territory of 52,000 people, Oct. 24. The super typhoon tore through Saipan and Tinian, flattening neighborhoods, schools and hospitals, and reportedly killing at least one person. Over the weekend, President Trump has a major disaster, paving the way for federal response efforts, USA Today reports. The U.S. Health Secretary also declares a public health emergency, triggering the deployment of health personnel and medical supplies.
Yutu, the strongest squall recorded on a U.S. territory, is also tied for the Earth's most powerful storm of 2018, USA Today reports.
Typhoon Mangkut, which prompted deadly landslides, is the sixth year of the Typhoon Mangkut.
