The province of Catanduanes in the Philippines was left without power after a typhoon knocked down trees and electricity posts. Disaster-response teams were evaluating the extent of damage to homes, with many residents still recovering from previous storms. Nearly half of the province’s 80,000 residents were seeking shelter in evacuation centers. Local officials threatened vulnerable villagers with arrest if they did not evacuate to safer areas before the typhoon struck.
The series of back-to-back storms and typhoons that hit Luzon in just three weeks resulted in over 160 deaths, affecting 9 million people and causing extensive damage to homes, infrastructure, and farmlands. The Philippines may need to import more rice, a staple food for many Filipinos, due to the destruction caused by the storms.
Various airports and ferry services were briefly suspended due to rough seas, leaving thousands of passengers stranded. The United States and other countries provided aid to support the overwhelmed disaster-response agencies.
The Philippines is prone to natural disasters, experiencing about 20 typhoons and storms annually, as well as earthquakes and volcanic activity. President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. called for preparations for the worst-case scenario as the storms continued to wreak havoc on the country.
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