Tropical storm “Trami” has caused widespread flooding and landslides in the Philippines, with at least 126 people reported dead or missing. President of the Philippines stated on Saturday that many areas are still isolated and in need of rescue personnel. “Trami” has since made landfall in Vietnam on Sunday.
On Friday, the storm moved out to sea from the northwestern part of the Philippines. Government disaster response agencies reported at least 85 deaths and 41 people missing, making it one of the deadliest and most destructive storms in the Philippines so far this year. With reports coming in from previously cut-off areas, the death toll is expected to rise.
Last Saturday, dozens of police officers, firefighters, and other emergency responders, supported by three excavators and search dogs, recovered the body of a missing villager in the lakeside town of Talisay in Batangas province. Another missing villager remains unaccounted for.
In a basketball gym near the town center, several white coffins were lined up containing bodies found in the mud, boulders, and trees that cascaded down the steep slope of the Sampaloc village ridge in Talisay on Thursday afternoon.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. inspected another hard-hit area in the southeast of Manila on Saturday. He mentioned that the storm brought unusually heavy rainfall, with some areas receiving one to two months’ worth of rain in just 24 hours, overwhelming flood control systems in some storm-affected provinces.
Marcos Jr. told reporters, “The rainfall was just too much.”
He added, “Our rescue operations are not over yet, and the problem we have here is that there are still many areas submerged in floodwaters where even large trucks cannot enter.”
Marcos Jr. stated that his government will plan to launch a major flood control project to address unprecedented threats brought about by climate change.
Government agencies reported that over 5 million people were affected by the storm, with nearly 500,000 people seeking shelter in over 6,300 emergency evacuation centers across multiple provinces.
During an emergency cabinet meeting, Marcos Jr. expressed concern over the reports from meteorologists. The report indicated that the 11th storm to hit the Philippines this year might change course next week due to the influence of a high-pressure system in the South China Sea.
The Philippines is an archipelago nation located between the Pacific Ocean and the South China Sea. The country faces approximately 20 storms and typhoons annually. In 2013, Typhoon “Haiyan” was one of the strongest tropical cyclones on record, causing over 7,300 deaths or missing persons and leveling numerous villages.
“Trami” made landfall in central Vietnam on Sunday, with authorities warning of heavy rainfall and the potential for dangerous flooding. The national meteorological agency cautioned, “There is a high risk of flooding in urban areas from Thanh Hoa to Ha Tinh.” The agency also forecasted heavy rains to hit the central highlands of Vietnam, a major coffee-growing region.
(Source: Voice of America)