MANILA, July 24 — Heavy rain threatened to trigger more severe floods and landslides in the Philippines as the country experiences three tropical storms within days, worsening a disaster that has already left 12 people dead and over 2.7 million people displaced, reported Xinhua.
In a report today, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) said that 765,869 families, or 2,733,646 people, have been affected nationwide by the catastrophe due to relentless rain dumped by Tropical Storm Wipha and the enhanced southwest monsoon since last week.
It reported that besides the 12 deaths, eight people remain missing in the wake of Wipha and the monsoon. The death toll is expected to rise in the coming days as the council continues validating fatalities from across the country.
Wipha and the monsoon caused significant damage to the country, with losses to the agriculture sector amounting to 366.38 million pesos (RM27.26 million). The losses encompassed damages to rice, corn, several high-value crops, fisheries, and livestock, affecting thousands of farmers and fishermen.
Additionally, the damage to infrastructure totals 3.77 billion pesos (RM280.5 million).
Even with Wipha's exit from the Philippines on Saturday (July 19), the southwest monsoon rain continued to fall owing to two tropical storms, Francisco and Co-May, which battered the country yesterday and today.
Earlier, the Philippines' weather bureau PAGASA said that Tropical Storm Co-May is expected to move southeastward before turning north-northeastward, possibly passing close to Pangasinan province in the afternoon and making landfall over the Ilocos region by tonight or early tomorrow.
Co-May is the fifth tropical storm to hit the Philippines this year. The bureau said it may strengthen into a typhoon before landfall.
Meanwhile, tropical storm Francisco continues to head west-northwestward and is expected to exit the Philippines this afternoon or evening.
PAGASA added that flood warnings are in effect across Metro Manila and its adjoining provinces today.
The archipelago is prone to tropical cyclones, with an average of 20 typhoons per year, which trigger heavy rains, flooding, and strong winds, resulting in casualties and the destruction of crops and properties.
— Bernama
