Super Typhoon Man-Yi has intensified concerns in the Philippines as it made landfall late Friday, marking the sixth significant storm to hit the nation in just one month. The typhoon, locally referred to as Pepito, struck the eastern Catanduanes island at 21:40 local time (13:40 GMT) with maximum sustained winds reaching an alarming 195 km/h (121 mph). As a result, authorities have issued dire warnings of a "life-threatening storm surge," heavy rainfall, and potentially severe winds that pose an imminent threat to life and property.
In light of the incoming storm, hundreds of thousands of residents were urged to evacuate, with over 400,000 people complying with the orders according to civil defense head Ariel Nepomuceno. The unprecedented frequency of storms this month has left communities on high alert, as at least 160 individuals have already lost their lives in the five prior typhoons.
The projected path of Super Typhoon Man-Yi indicates it will impact a colossal area, with the northern regions bracing for heavy rain, potentially exceeding 300mm (11 inches) over the weekend. Officials have expressed particular concern for residents in landslide-prone areas, where the ground has already been saturated from previous storms.
In testimonies from evacuees like Glenda Llamas, fear of rising waters and intensifying storms drives home the urgency to leave. "If we didn't evacuate we wouldn't be able to get out later,” Llamas shared from a shelter in Albay province, reflecting the anxiety many families are enduring.
Despite the prevalence of typhoons in the region, meteorologists emphasize the unusual concentration of such tropical storms occurring simultaneously in November. The recent history of devastating typhoons, including Trami and Kong-rey, has stressed that the physical landscape and infrastructure must be prepared for the heavier rainfall and wind speeds associated with climate change, as reported by the IPCC.
As Super Typhoon Man-Yi continues to move north across Luzon, the most populous island in the Philippines, the country braces for potential catastrophic impacts while reflecting on a month marred by destruction and loss. The reality of climate change looms, questioning the resilience of communities facing the fury of nature’s escalating threats.
