Photo Credit:Associated Press
A tropical storm has unleashed a month's worth of rainfall across extensive areas of the northern Philippines, resulting in over 20 fatalities and prompting the evacuation of 150,000 people. Trami made landfall Thursday on the northeast coast of Luzon, the country's most populous island, and caused widespread flooding and landslides. The Bicol peninsula was worst-hit, where floodwaters chased people and their pets to the second storey of their homes. Typhoons are common in the Philippines at this time of the year, but Trami's rains were unusually heavy, the state weather bureau said.
People trapped on their roofs posted photos of their ordeal on social media to appeal for rescue, prompting the coast guard to deploy rubber boats. It's getting dangerous. We're waiting for rescuers, Karen Tabagan from the flooded municipality of Bato said.
The rains also triggered volcanic mudslides or lahar in villages surrounding Mount Mayon, an active volcano in Bicol. Photos showed the tyres of cars and the front doors of houses partially buried in dark grey mud. The storm, known locally as Kristine, had dumped one month's worth of rain over 24 hours in Bicol, Ana Claren, a forecaster at the state weather bureau in Manila reported. The rainfall amount also exceeded what the weather bureau considers normal over 30 years of observation, she said. The storm, which was packing winds of up to 95 km/h (59 mph), was forecast to leave the country's north-west coast late Thursday evening.
At least a dozen flights across the country had been canceled. Even as it was on its way out of the Philippines, officials have continued to warn of heavy rainfall, flooding, landslides and storm surges.
