Freak tornado hits Tupi, South Cotabato, topples trees, posts

TUPI, South Cotabato - Strong winds and what local residents believed was a freak tornado swept through several villages here and toppled down trees, electric posts and destroyed school buildings Wednesday afternoon, disaster officials said. Emil Sumagaysay, TupiMunicipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council Action Officer, told DXOM-AM Radyo Bida thatthe toppled trees hit one of the buildings of Tupi National High School in Barangay Poblacion. sand//scontent.fmnl4-5.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/13620978_1000086200098189_1981318860284377669_n.jpg?oh=044ab2a52fbd099a3288e0945e261bb0andampoe=57EC805D (Disaster workers clear school building in Tupi from toppled huge trees - Radyo Bida)Before the freak tornado hit Barangay Poblacion, it also swept through the villages of Cebuano and Kablon, destroying agricultural crops and houses made of light materials.Assessment is still going on to determine the extent of damages, Sumagaysay said. Strong winds that came with moderate toheavy rains regularly occur in Tupi, one of the highlands of South Cotabato.