Koppu Forces 60,000 To Evacuate In The Philippines, Flooding May Continue; Death Toll Rises To 22

UPDATE: 1 a.m. EDT -- The death toll from Koppu rose to 22 as more reports came in from northern Philippines, Agence France-Presse reported.

Meanwhile, the one-time supertyphoon, now classified as a tropical storm, weakened further, with winds of 85 kilometers per hour, according to the national weather agency.

Original story:

Koppu weakened from typhoon to tropical storm even as some areas of northern Philippines remained flooded, and authorities warned flooding and landslides could worsen. As of 4 a.m., local time Tuesday, Koppu's winds slowed to 95 kilometers per hour (59 mph) as its center left the main Philippine island of Luzon, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration said. Its winds were as strong as 185 kph (115 mph) just before hitting land Sunday.

Aside from weakening, it is now forecast to turn east into the Pacific Ocean in the next few days, sparing Taiwan, the U.S. Navy Joint Typhoon Warning Center predicted.

Sixteen people were dead and more than 60,000 forced to evacuate, Agence France-Presse reported. The worst single incident reported so far was the drowning of seven people on a ferry that capsized off the island of Guimaras Sunday. The casualty report may climb as information comes in from remote areas, or areas where transport and communication have been cut off.

Authorities warned people in evacuation centers not to return to their homes, saying even if rains have abated, the water they left in the mountains will flow down for days, ABS-CBN News said.

Rice and other crops were destroyed, and farm animals were killed by the wind, rains and floods, the Philippine Daily Inquirer and other media reported. The typhoon hit regions considered among the country's biggest sources of rice, the country's staple. That could revive inflation, which is low, or even increase world prices. The Philippines is one of the world's biggest importers of the grain.