Typhoon Yinxing Wreaks Havoc in Northern Philippines, Damages Airports

Typhoon Yinxing unleashed floods and landslides in the northern Philippines before departing on Friday, causing damage to two airports and worsening the situation created by consecutive storms in recent weeks.

No immediate casualties were reported from Yinxing, the 13th significant storm to strike the disaster-prone Southeast Asian nation this year.

The storm, known locally as Marce, was last observed over the South China Sea, approximately 100 kilometres (62 miles) west of Ilocos Norte province. It had sustained winds reaching 150 kilometres per hour (93 mph) and gusts up to 205 kph (127 mph), according to government forecasters. Yinxing is expected to weaken further before making landfall in Vietnam.

Yinxing caused flooding, uprooted trees and power lines, and inflicted damage on homes and buildings in Cagayan province, where it made landfall on Thursday afternoon, according to provincial officials. Over 40,000 residents were evacuated to safer locations in the province.

In the northernmost island province of Batanes, Governor Marilou Cayco reported that the storm’s intense winds and rain tore off roofs and damaged seaports and two domestic airport terminals.

Officials anticipate more detailed damage assessments from the provinces affected by the typhoon, including reports from two northern mountain towns hit by landslides.

The recent damage will hinder recovery efforts from two previous powerful storms that struck the northern region.

Tropical Storm Trami and Typhoon Kong-rey caused the deaths of at least 151 people and impacted nearly 9 million others, primarily in the northern and central provinces. The storms caused more than 14 billion pesos ($241 million) in damage to rice, corn, other crops, and infrastructure.

Trami delivered one to two months’ worth of rainfall within 24 hours in some areas. In Batangas, the worst-hit province south of Manila, at least 61 people perished in floods and landslides.

As of Thursday, more than 630,000 people remained displaced due to Trami and Kong-rey, including 172,000 still in emergency shelters as Yinxing swept across the mountainous northern region.

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has decided to forgo attending the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Peru next week to concentrate on recovery efforts, according to Communications Secretary Cesar Chavez.

In 2013, Typhoon Haiyan, one of the strongest recorded tropical cyclones, left over 7,300 people dead or missing, destroyed entire villages, and caused ships to run aground in the central Philippines. The archipelago is also prone to earthquakes and has over a dozen active volcanoes, making it one of the world’s most disaster-prone countries.

Frances Ibiefo

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