Philippines on high alert as super typhoon Usagi approaches

Residents strengthen the roof of their homes in Santa Ana, Cagayan province, northern Philippines, as they expect Typhoon Usagi to hit their area on November 14, 2024. | Photo credit: AP

The Philippines raised its highest storm alert and evacuated thousands of people on Thursday (Nov 14, 2024) as Super Typhoon Usagi barreled towards the already disaster-stricken north.

With sustained winds of up to 180 km per hour, Usagi will hit the main island of Luzon in the afternoon local time. fifth storm to threaten the country in just three weeks.

The brutal wave of weather has already killed 159 people and prompted the United Nations to request $32.9 million in aid for the worst-hit regions.

A tropical storm hitting the Philippines kills 23 people due to flooding and landslides

The national weather agency said the winds could cause “near total damage to structures made of light materials, especially in highly exposed coastal areas,” and “heavy damage” to buildings otherwise considered “low risk.”

‘Intense to heavy rain’ and possibly ‘life-threatening’ coastal waves of up to three meters (nine feet) were also forecast for two days, with the gale warning raised to the highest signal on a five-step scale.

“Evacuations are underway” in coastal and low-lying areas of Cagayan province, civil defense chief Rueli Rapsing said. AFP over the phone.

He expects local governments to move 40,000 people into shelters, about the same number previously evacuated as preventive measures. Typhoon Yinxingthat hit Cagayan’s northern coast earlier this month.

A powerful typhoon is approaching the Philippines, where many shelters are still full after the recent storm

He said more than 5,000 Cagayan residents were still in shelters after the previous storms. This was because the Cagayan River, the country’s largest, remained swollen due to heavy rains that fell in several provinces upstream, flooding communities downstream.

“We expect this situation to continue in the coming days” as Usagi brings more rain, Mr Rapsing said. After Usagi, Tropical Storm Man-yi is also expected to hit the heartland of the Filipino population around the capital Manila this weekend.

“Typhoons overlap. As soon as communities try to recover from the shock, the next tropical storm hits them again,” said Gustavo Gonzalez, UN resident and humanitarian coordinator for the Philippines. “In this context, response capacities are being exhausted and budgets are being depleted.”

Every year, about 20 major storms and typhoons strike the archipelago or surrounding waters, killing dozens of people and leaving millions in permanent poverty. A recent study found that storms in the Asia-Pacific region are forming closer to coastlines, intensifying faster and lasting longer over land due to climate change.