Heavy rains from an approaching tropical storm caused widespread flooding in eastern Philippine cities and towns, trapping people on their roofs and prompting urgent calls for rescue boats and trucks, officials said on Wednesday.
The government closed public schools and government offices across the main island of Luzon, except for those needed for disaster response, as Tropical Storm Trami moved closer from the Pacific.
One person was killed by a falling tree branch in Masbate province, and seven others were reported missing, including three fishermen who sailed into the rough seas and haven’t returned.
The storm, located about 310 kilometers east of Baler town in Aurora province, had winds of 85 km/h and gusts up to 105 km/h. Forecasters warned it could bring up to 20 centimeters of rain in the most vulnerable areas. It’s expected to make landfall in Aurora between Wednesday night and early Thursday before moving across northern Luzon and exiting into the South China Sea.
Thousands of villagers in the northeast evacuated to emergency shelters, and storm warnings were issued in more than two dozen provinces, including Manila, which could be hit by heavy rain despite not being directly in the storm’s path.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. canceled his Wednesday appointments to hold an emergency meeting on disaster response. Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro said the military’s aircraft and ships were ready for evacuations, with additional help available from countries like Singapore if necessary.
Former Vice President Leni Robredo, who lives in Naga City, said many people were trapped on rooftops, and some rescue trucks had stalled due to flooding. The Coast Guard has been rescuing people from flooded villages in several provinces, but local authorities said more rescue boats were needed. Thousands of passengers were stranded at ports as ferry services were suspended due to rough seas.
In Camarines Sur, Representative Luis Raymund Villafuerte said the province had about 50 rescue boats but needed 200 to respond to all the calls for help. Many people have been evacuated from low-lying areas, but the need for assistance remains high.
Floods up to 3 meters deep forced 8,000 people to evacuate in Quezon province, according to Governor Angelina Tan.
The Philippines faces around 20 storms and typhoons each year and is located in the “Pacific Ring of Fire,” making it one of the world’s most disaster-prone countries. In 2013, Typhoon Haiyan, one of the strongest storms ever recorded, left more than 7,300 people dead or missing and displaced over 5 million people.
