Typhoon Man-yi Causes Deadly Floods in Northern Philippines, Killing At Least Eight
At least eight people have died as floodwaters submerged hundreds of homes in the northern Philippines after water released from Magat Dam, following Typhoon Man-yi, caused the Cagayan River to overflow.
The typhoon, which made landfall on Catanduanes Island on Saturday and struck Luzon the following day, brought maximum sustained winds of 185 km/h (115 mph).
The storm, the sixth major typhoon to hit the Philippines in just a month, triggered heavy rainfall, destroyed buildings, and knocked out power as the Local officials in Ilagan had expressed deep concern, with some estimating that up to 500 houses had been submerged.
Furthermore, authorities had warned of a potentially catastrophic impact, President Ferdinand Marcos noted that the situation wasn’t as severe as initially feared. If the dam continued to release water through all its gates, they warned, the city could face even more severe flooding. While officials acknowledged the risks, they emphasized that the dam’s release was necessary to avoid a much worse scenario, including the potential collapse of the dam itself.
The impact of Typhoon Man-yi was devastating across the affected regions. In Catanduanes, which had already suffered significant damage, power outages were expected to last for months as toppled power lines and destroyed infrastructure disrupted daily life. Many houses, particularly those made from light materials, were either flattened or had their roofs and windows torn off by the storm’s strong winds. In Nueva Vizcaya province, a landslide buried a house, killing seven people. Across the affected areas, authorities appealed for urgent relief supplies, including food, hygiene kits, and construction materials.
After wreaking havoc in the Philippines, Typhoon Man-yi weakened as it moved over the mountainous regions of Luzon and was downgraded to a severe tropical storm. As it continued its path toward Vietnam, the storm left more than a million people displaced in the Philippines. The recent cluster of powerful storms, which have been more frequent and intense due to the effects of climate change, has caused widespread damage, including the loss of lives and livelihoods. With around 171 fatalities reported in the past month alone, the country is grappling with the consequences of increasingly extreme weather events.