23-10-2024 (MANILA) The Philippines is grappling with severe flooding and widespread devastation as Tropical Storm Trami continues its destructive path toward the country’s eastern coast, claiming seven lives and forcing more than 32,000 residents to abandon their homes.
Emergency services are battling treacherous conditions in their rescue efforts, with personnel wading through chest-deep floodwaters to reach stranded residents. The storm has transformed urban streets into waterways and completely submerged numerous villages, while volcanic sediment loosened by the deluge has engulfed vehicles in affected areas.
The Bicol region, situated 400 kilometres southeast of Manila, has been particularly hard hit, with police spokesperson Luisa Calubaquib reporting that “unexpectedly high” flood levels are severely hampering rescue operations. “The flooding and strong currents are making it extremely challenging for our police rescue teams to access certain areas,” Calubaquib explained.
The death toll includes four drowning victims in Naga City, including one person trapped in a flood-swept bus. Additional fatalities include an elderly woman in Quezon province, a toddler who fell into a flooded canal, and one person killed by a falling tree branch in Manila.
As of 2 pm local time, meteorological reports placed Trami’s centre 160 kilometres east of Aurora province in Luzon, with sustained winds reaching 85 kilometres per hour. The storm is expected to make landfall near Divilacan around 11 pm.
President Ferdinand Marcos, speaking at an emergency government meeting, warned that “the worst is yet to come,” expressing a sense of helplessness as authorities brace for potentially greater impact.
The situation in Naga City has reached critical levels, with 300 villages completely submerged. In Bato municipality, Camarines Sur province, only rooftops remain visible above the muddy floodwaters, leaving residents like Karen Tabagan anxiously awaiting rescue.
TIGNAN: Labing-isang residente, kabilang ang dalawang bata, ang inilikas ng DRG 5 sa Zone 6, Libon, Albay ngayong araw, ika-23 ng Oktubre 2024.
✍️ https://t.co/JGWIhkCEmz#DOTrPH ????????#CoastGuardPH#MaritimeSectorWorks pic.twitter.com/YOIJdoAxej
— Philippine Coast Guard (@coastguardph) October 23, 2024
The disaster response includes approximately 2,500 evacuation centres across the Bicol region. Adding to the crisis, the famous Mayon volcano area has experienced lahar flows – dangerous volcanic mudflows triggered by the intense rainfall.
Coastal communities near Divilacan and Palanan have implemented preemptive evacuations, relocating 276 residents, including indigenous people living in vulnerable structures, due to warnings of life-threatening storm surges.
Climate scientists note that such storms are becoming more dangerous, with recent studies indicating that typhoons are now forming closer to coastlines, intensifying more rapidly, and maintaining their strength longer over land due to climate change effects.
