Typhoon Co-may devastates Philippines with mass evacuations and casualties

In the Philippines, especially in its mountainous northern regions, a tropical storm known as Typhoon Co-may has wreaked significant havoc, worsening the already bad weather that had persisted for over a week. On Thursday night, the storm made landfall in Agno, located in Pangasinan province, packing sustained winds of 120 kilometers per hour and gusts reaching up to 165 kilometers per hour. The intense weather has resulted in at least 25 reported deaths since last weekend, predominantly linked to hazards like flash floods, landslides, electrocution, and the toppling of trees. Alongside the casualties, eight individuals remain missing, raising concerns over the storm's impact on the vulnerable populations in affected areas. Typhoon Co-may, or Emong as it is locally referred to, intensified seasonal monsoon rains that had inundated considerable portions of the country. Schools in metropolitan Manila were closed for the third consecutive day as safety concerns escalated, and classes across 35 provinces in the main northern region of Luzon were suspended. Consequently, at least 77 towns and cities declared a state of calamity, a label that accelerates access to emergency funds and halts price increases on vital commodities, including rice. The disastrous weather forced approximately 278,000 residents to evacuate to safety, seeking refuge in emergency shelters or the homes of relatives. Nearly 3,000 houses have suffered damage due to flooding and landslides, according to reports from the government’s disaster response agency. Furthermore, transportation services by sea and air have been severely restricted due to the storm's effects, complicating relief efforts for those affected by the disaster. Thousands of personnel, including army forces, police, coast guard members, firefighters, and civilian volunteers, have been deployed to assist rescue operations and provide aid for individuals trapped by floodwaters or isolated due to obstructed roadways from landslides and fallen trees. As the situation remains dire, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. addressed the needs of displaced individuals by visiting emergency shelters in Rizal province, where he distributed food packs. Upon his return from a White House meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump, he held an emergency meeting with disaster-response officials, emphasizing the necessity for both the government and the populace to make adaptations in anticipation of climate change's consequences. Marcos observed that the nature of storms has changed, stressing the inevitability of future calamities and the necessity for preparedness in the face of increasing climate unpredictability. The United States, a longstanding ally of the Philippines, has pledged assistance, including military aircraft for airlifting food and aid to remote areas should the conditions worsen further, according to the Philippines military.