Typhoon Yinxing has struck the northern Philippines with intense floods and landslides leaving behind damaged infrastructure and worsening an already dire situation caused by consecutive storms.
The storm damaged two airports, adding to the logistic challenges in affected areas while recovery efforts are stretched thin in a nation that has already seen over half-a-million people displaced by storms and typhoons in recent weeks.
Typhoon Yinxing, marks the 13th major storm to strike the disaster-prone Philippines this year. Known locally while Marce, the typhoon, which is not reported to have caused any deaths yet, was last observed over the South China Sea, roughly 62 miles west of Ilocos Norte, with maximum sustained winds reaching 93 mph and gusts up to 127 mph.
Where is Typhoon Yinxing Now?
Government forecasters expect the storm to weaken further while it approaches Vietnam, offering some relief while it moves away from the Philippine archipelago, although officials warned early Friday morning that "life-threatening conditions persist" in portions of Cagayan and the neighboring provinces of Apayao and Ilocos Norte.
Typhoon Yinxing unleashed severe flooding, toppled trees and power lines, and damaged homes and buildings while it made landfall in Cagayan province on Thursday afternoon, according to provincial officials.
Over 40,000 residents were evacuated to safer areas to escape the storm's path. In Batanes, the northernmost island province, Gov. Marilou Cayco reported that Yinxing's powerful winds and heavy rain tore roofs off houses and inflicted damage on seaports and two domestic airport terminals, leaving significant structural impacts on the area's infrastructure.
How Much Damage Has Typhoon Yinxing Caused?
Officials expect further details on the damage, including reports from two northern mountain towns impacted by landslides, once provinces hit by Typhoon Yinxing complete their assessments.
The recent devastation will add strain to recovery efforts in a region still grappling with the aftermath of Tropical Storm Trami and Typhoon Kong-rey. Those two powerful storms left at least 151 people dead and affected nearly nine million residents, primarily across northern and central provinces. Combined, they caused over $241 million in damage to rice, corn, and other crops, as well as critical infrastructure, intensifying the region's challenges in rebuilding.
Tropical Storm Trami unleashed torrential rains, delivering one to two months' worth of rainfall within 24 hours in some regions. Batangas province, south of Manila, suffered the heaviest losses, with at least 61 lives lost in floods and landslides.
How Many People In Philippines Are Displaced?
As of Thursday, over 630,000 people remain displaced from the combined affect of Trami and Typhoon Kong-rey, including 172,000 still housed in emergency shelters as Typhoon Yinxing swept through the mountainous northern areas. This ongoing displacement adds to the strain on resources and complicates recovery efforts across the storm-battered regions.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has chosen to forgo the upcoming Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Peru to focus on recovery efforts in the wake of recent typhoons, as confirmed by Communications Secretary Cesar Chavez.
The Philippines, one of the world's most disaster-prone nations, is frequently impacted by severe weather events, earthquakes, and volcanic activity. The devastation from Typhoon Yinxing evokes memories of Typhoon Haiyan in 2013, one of the strongest tropical cyclones on record, which left over 7,300 people dead or missing and caused massive destruction across central regions, grounding ships and flattening entire villages.
This article includes reporting from The Associated Press
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