The Philippines faced another severe natural disaster on Thursday as Typhoon Usagi slammed into the northern province of Cagayan, wreaking havoc on communities already battered by a series of recent storms. Usagi made landfall in the early morning hours in Baggao, bringing winds of up to 175 kilometers per hour (109 mph) and triggering widespread evacuations along the coast and around swelling rivers.
The recent typhoon comes as the latest in a relentless wave of storms that have ravaged the country, claiming the lives of 159 people over the past three weeks and prompting international calls for emergency aid. According to the national weather service, Typhoon Usagi landed in Baggao at 1:30 p.m. local time, becoming the fifth significant storm to strike the Philippines in a span of only three weeks. With its intense winds and torrential rain, Usagi is predicted to cause extensive damage to light-structured buildings, significant disruptions to infrastructure, and severe coastal flooding.
The storm’s arrival was accompanied by 3-meter-high waves, raising concerns for communities along the coast. Heavy rains were expected to continue for at least two days, bringing heightened risks of landslides and flash flooding, especially in already saturated areas. The country’s weather agency initially issued its highest-level storm alert but downgraded to the second-highest level as the typhoon moved inland.
“The wind strength of Usagi and the volume of rain it brings could still deal considerable damage to communities, with roofs blown away, power outages, and coastal flooding,” explained a meteorologist from the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA).
President Ferdinand Marcos, on-site in the disaster-stricken areas, urged residents to follow evacuation protocols as he distributed emergency funds to affected families. In a statement, he implored locals, particularly in vulnerable areas like Mindoro Island, to prioritize their safety by seeking refuge in shelters.
“We know that it is difficult to leave your homes and possessions, but sheltering could save lives,” Marcos said in a public address. “While we cannot prevent typhoons from hitting the country, we can take steps to reduce their impact,” he added, stressing the importance of investing in resilient infrastructure to mitigate the adverse effects of climate change.
The impact of Usagi is most immediately felt in Cagayan province, where local officials have been racing to evacuate residents as floodwaters rise. Many of those in harm’s way are still recovering from the last typhoon, Yinxing, which struck just weeks prior. According to Cagayan’s civil defense chief, Rueli Rapsing, over 1,400 residents sought refuge in a local gymnasium, while thousands more were directed to nearby shelters.
“Yesterday, it was preemptive evacuations. Now we’re doing forced evacuations,” said Edward Gaspar, a disaster response official in Cagayan. “There are many more evacuees in nearby villages, but we haven’t had time to visit and count them,” he added.
The urgency for evacuation is palpable, with riverbanks swollen and roads blocked by debris, complicating evacuation efforts. In total, authorities estimate around 40,000 residents will require temporary housing due to the storm.
The cumulative effects of recent typhoons have placed enormous strain on the country’s disaster response capabilities, depleting local resources and stretching emergency budgets. The United Nations has requested $32.9 million in humanitarian aid to assist with relief and recovery efforts in the worst-hit regions, underscoring the sheer scale of the destruction and the urgent need for additional support.
Gustavo Gonzalez, the UN Philippines Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator, highlighted the challenges facing both national and international responders. “Typhoons are overlapping. As soon as communities attempt to recover from the shock, the next tropical storm is already hitting them again,” Gonzalez remarked, emphasizing the toll on both resources and human resilience.
In its assessment, the UN reported that over 207,000 homes had been either damaged or destroyed, with nearly 700,000 people currently displaced and seeking shelter in temporary facilities. Many evacuees lack essential items such as sleeping mats, hygiene kits, and cooking supplies, and access to clean drinking water is limited.
The repeated onslaught of storms has had a devastating impact on agriculture, further jeopardizing the livelihoods of countless Filipino farmers. Thousands of hectares of farmland have been flooded, and recovery efforts have been stymied by continuous rainfall, making it difficult for farmers to replant or harvest crops.
This has led to a cascading food security issue, as agricultural supply chains are disrupted and prices of staple foods are projected to rise. “The food supply situation is dire, with heavy flooding affecting rice and vegetable production across northern provinces,” noted a representative from the Department of Agriculture. “In some areas, persistent floods make it impossible to even consider replanting for the coming season, which will severely impact food availability.”
As if the situation weren’t challenging enough, the Philippines now braces for the potential arrival of another storm—Tropical Storm Man-yi—which is expected to strike the central regions, including the capital Manila, over the coming weekend. The national weather service anticipates that Man-yi, influenced by a high-pressure area over southern Japan, will follow a more southerly track than Usagi.
This continued barrage of storms has left communities vulnerable and drained disaster response resources, leaving little time for recovery.
The Philippines, located in the Asia-Pacific region, is frequently battered by about 20 typhoons annually, a phenomenon only exacerbated by the warming climate. A recent study highlights that typhoons in the Asia-Pacific are not only forming closer to coastlines but are intensifying more rapidly and lasting longer over land. This change in storm behavior is directly attributed to the effects of climate change, which increases the frequency and severity of extreme weather events.
Climate scientists caution that unless proactive climate action is taken, typhoons like Usagi and Man-yi may become increasingly common and devastating, inflicting even greater harm on vulnerable regions like the Philippines. “Our studies show that climate change amplifies typhoon intensity,” said Dr. Maria Santiago, a climatologist from the University of the Philippines. “Rising sea temperatures provide more energy for these storms, while higher humidity levels increase the potential for torrential rainfall, creating a recipe for more frequent and catastrophic events.”
Despite the difficult conditions, Filipinos have shown remarkable resilience, rallying to support one another through volunteer efforts, community-led fundraisers, and local aid initiatives. In some of the hardest-hit areas, neighbors are pooling resources to help each other rebuild and provide makeshift shelters for the displaced.
International partners, including the United States, Japan, and the European Union, have extended their support by pledging donations and deploying relief teams to assist in evacuation efforts and provide essential supplies. However, experts point out that while immediate assistance is crucial, long-term measures are needed to enhance the Philippines’ disaster preparedness and resilience.
With back-to-back typhoons and storms becoming increasingly frequent, Filipino officials and environmental advocates are calling for comprehensive strategies to improve disaster response and community resilience. Upgrades to infrastructure, such as flood barriers, stronger buildings, and better evacuation routes, are urgently needed to protect vulnerable communities from future typhoons.
President Marcos echoed these sentiments, calling for investment in climate-resilient infrastructure to minimize the destructive impact of future storms. “We cannot change our location on the map, but we can change how we prepare for these storms,” Marcos said, urging for a national initiative to strengthen communities against natural disasters.
Environmental organizations have also pushed for more rigorous climate policies at the international level, with calls for industrialized nations to reduce their carbon emissions and support climate adaptation efforts in high-risk regions like the Philippines.
