Six devastating typhoons overlapped in just three weeks over the Philippines, virtually draining the ability of the struggling Asia-Pacific nation to effectively undertake rescue and rehabilitation tasks.
The bizarre series of weather disturbances began during the final week of October and did not stop until mid-November, displacing millions of Filipinos and causing damage worth billions of pesos.
The six weather disturbances were nicknamed Kristine (international name Trami; severe tropical storm, October 20-25); Leon (Kongrey, super typhoon, October 26-30); Marce (Yingxing, typhoon, November 4-8); Nika (Toraji, typhoon, November. 9-12); Ofel (Usagi, super typhoon, November 12-16); and Pepito (Manyi, super typhoon, November 15-18).
A super typhoon has winds of up to 260 kph (160 mph). It is equivalent to a Category 5 Atlantic hurricane.
In its website, the United States research arm NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration) described the series of storms that simultaneously formed near the Philippines this November as “unusual.”
“We could say this is a signal of a changing climate,” said weather expert Thelma Cinco of the state-run Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) during a press conference November 15.
Studies have shown that the rise in sea temperatures due to climate change is contributing to the formation and intensification of these powerful tropical cyclones. “Warmer sea surface temperatures provide more energy for these storms, leading to stronger and more destructive typhoons,” according to climate change websites.
Areas badly affected by the weather disturbances during the period were mostly in the main island of Luzon, from Batanes in the north, all the way to Bicol in southeast. Filipinos in eastern Visayas were also evacuated during the period as a pre-emptive measure. Sea travel was disrupted although aviation was not affected as much.
The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) reported a death toll of 150 from the combined effects of Kristine and Super Typhoon Leon.
Deaths were however minimized in the four succeeding weather disturbances because of intensified pre-emptive evacuations. There was one casualty reported at the height of Pepito although it was related to a road mishap.
The NDRRMC said evacuations during the devastation of Nika, Ofel, and Pepito reached a total of 1,145,942 individuals or 295,576 families in Ilocos Region, Cagayan Valley, Central Luzon, MIMAROPA, Bicol Region, and Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR). Kristine’s rage affected 3.3 million Filipinos, according to the NDRRMC.
Officials said the victims had to be cared into emergency shelters during the onslaught of the typhoons. Many of them later returned to completely wrecked houses.
There were also reports of billions worth of damage to infrastructure aside from uprooted trees and the toppling of power and communication lines.
On November 18, President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. said the government concentrated on rescue and relief operations. Rebuilding infrastructure damaged by the storm will also continue, he added.
Marcos admitted the challenges were daunting given the limitations of a third world nation but he said the international community’s response to the needs of the Philippines were encouraging.
The United States government led the way, announcing in October an PHP84 million ($1.5 million) aid for the typhoon victims. This was followed by an additional PHP196 million ($3.5 million) early November when it became imminent that the Philippines needed more help. During the Manila visit of US Defense Secretary Lloyd James Austin III on November 18, another PHP56 million ($1 million) in humanitarian funding was pledged to the Philippines.
There were also aid coming from the European Union (EU), the United Arab Emirates, and Taiwan, according to Philippine government authorities.
China has yet to announce help for the Philippines for the recent series of typhoons although its government, through the Chinese Embassy in Manila and the Philippine Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry, gave help when the Philippines was badly hit by southwest monsoon last July.—VER BERMUDEZ (Contributing Editor)