Thousands evacuated before Philippine "super typhoon"

By Rosemarie Francisco

MANILA (Reuters) - Philippine authorities declared a state of calamity and evacuated 33,000 people from the east of the main island as a "super typhoon" bore down on Friday, a week after flash floods in and around Manila killed nearly 300 people.

Typhoon Parma, about 150 km (93 miles) east of Luzon island, was gaining strength as it churned west-northwest toward the coast, bringing heavy rain.

It was expected to make landfall in or near the northeastern province of Isabela on Saturday. The area is mountainous and not heavily populated, but Parma was likely to lash Luzon with rain over the next two days, making life worse in flood-hit regions.

"We're concerned about the effects of more rain on the relief work in flooded areas because the water level could rise again," Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro said in a briefing aired on national television.

The weather bureau said Parma, with gusts of up to 230 kph (143 mph) at the center, would be the strongest typhoon to hit the country since 2006.

The top U.S. commander of the Pacific region, Navy Admiral Timothy Keating, said two ships off the coast of Manila stood ready "with hundreds of Marines and medical assistance if more help is required."

"The weather forecast is pretty grim for the north part of Luzon," he told reporters in a Pentagon teleconference. "We think the threat to downtown Manila is lower than it is to the north part of Luzon."