MANILA, Philippines — A powerful typhoon is expected to strike the northern regions of the Philippines on Thursday, leading to another series of evacuations as the area continues to recover from recent storms.
This typhoon, named Yinxing, marks the 13th storm to impact the disaster-prone country during the current season.
Governor Marilou Cayco of Batanes expressed concern for her constituents, stating, “I really pity our people but all of them are tough.” Batanes has already faced devastation from previous storms and is bracing for Yinxing’s severe winds and heavy rainfall.
Tens of thousands of residents are relocating back to emergency shelters, while disaster-response teams are on high alert in Cagayan and nearby provinces that lie in the predicted path of Yinxing. As of Thursday morning, the typhoon was approximately 175 kilometers (109 miles) east of Aparri town in Cagayan province.
The slow-moving typhoon, referred to locally as Marce, is producing sustained winds of up to 165 kilometers (102 miles) per hour and gusts reaching 205 kilometers per hour (127 mph). It is anticipated to make landfall or come very close to the shores of Cagayan and its surrounding islands later on Thursday.
Authorities, including the coast guard, army, air force, and police, have been put on alert. Additionally, operations of inter-island ferries, cargo services, and domestic flights in the northern provinces have been halted due to the impending storm.
Recent severe weather patterns, including Tropical Storm Trami and Typhoon Kong-rey, have already resulted in the deaths of over 151 individuals and have adversely impacted nearly 9 million people. Damage estimates reach more than 14 billion pesos (approximately $241 million) in losses for agricultural products such as rice and corn, alongside various infrastructure.
In response to the significant casualties and destruction, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. declared a national day of mourning on Monday during his visit to Batangas, one of the regions hit hardest by the storms, where at least 61 lives were lost.
Trami brought an unprecedented volume of rainfall, delivering one to two months’ worth of precipitation within a single day in regions like Batangas.
“We want to avoid the loss of lives due to calamities,” stated Marcos while in Talisay town, accompanied by key Cabinet officials to provide reassurance and support for storm-affected communities. He emphasized, “Storms nowadays are more intense, extensive and powerful.”
The Philippines has a history of catastrophic typhoons, including the devastating Typhoon Haiyan in 2013, which resulted in over 7,300 people being reported dead or missing, alongside the widespread destruction of villages and significant maritime accidents in the central Philippines.