Typhoon Hagupit is barreling towards the Philippines, sending tens of thousands into shelters only a year since the worst storm on record touched down, BBC News reported on Thursday.
The city of Tacloban is expected to get hit again, the same place in the Eastern Samar province where a typhoon last year killed thousands.
Residents are moving to shelters away from coastal areas. The storm is expected to pack wind speeds of 160 mph, Time reported.
Hagupit has the potential to cause storm surges, landslides and very heavy rainfall, according to meteorologists. It could be potentially hazardous to the communities still recovering from the catastrophe last year.
The powerful typhoon in November 2013, known as Haiyan, was the most severe in the island's history. It left 7,000 dead or missing when it swept through the central Philippines.
In anticipation of Hagupit, government offices and schools have been closed and lines are appearing outside gas stations and shops with people wanting to buy supplies.
"There's extreme nervousness and anticipation," says Renee Lambert, who leads the Catholic Relief Services office in Tacloban, provincial capital of Eastern Visayas. "However, the memory of what happened during Haiyan has also increased people's awareness and preparedness."
The typhoon is expected to land on Saturday evening and then move slowly towards Manila, the country's capital city. Residents should watch of landslides and flash floods.
