40 dead, towns submerged as Tropical Storm Trami hits Philippines

Philippine rescue workers struggled through widespread floodwaters on Friday to reach residents stranded on rooftops as Tropical Storm Trami, which has moved out to sea, left at least 40 people reported dead.

The storm dumped two months’ worth of rainfall over just two days in parts of the country, displacing tens of thousands.

“Many are still trapped on the roofs of their homes and asking for help. We are hoping that the floods will subside today since the rain has stopped.” Andre Dizon, Police Director for the Bicol region, told AFP.

The storm’s impact has left numerous regions devastated, particularly in Bicol, where President Ferdinand Marcos, while addressing the press, pointed out the challenge of accessing affected areas due to unexpected landslides.

“There were landslides in areas that didn’t have landslides before … so I guess the soil is completely saturated, the water has nowhere to go.

“The cities of Naga and Legazpi were reporting “many casualties but we haven’t been able to get in yet,” Marcos added.

As Trami moved over the South China Sea, the death toll increased. In Batangas province, south of the capital Manila, police staff, sergeant Nelson Cabuso told AFP of the discovery of six bodies in the flood-ravaged village of Sampaloc.

“The area was hit by a flash flood yesterday. Our people are still in the area to check if there are other casualties,” he said.

Corporal Alvin de Leon said another five people were killed in a flash flood in the coastal village of Subic Ilaya, pushing the toll to at least 40, according to an AFP tally from police and disaster officials.

Warnings of storm surges remained in place along Luzon’s west coast, with potential waves up to two meters high.

Batangas saw record rainfall, with over 390 millimetres of rain reported on October 24-25. Government offices and schools were closed across Luzon on Friday, as officials advised caution.

Around 193,000 people had been evacuated by Thursday, particularly in Bicol, where unprecedented flooding drove more than 30,000 to safety in a single day.

In some towns, floodwaters nearly submerged homes, and residents stranded on rooftops appealed for rescue via social media. Rescue boats were deployed in Naga and Nabua to reach those in need.

Approximately 20 major storms strike the Philippines each year, bringing widespread damage. However, recent studies indicate that climate change is causing storms in the Asia-Pacific to intensify more quickly, impact coastlines sooner, and sustain their strength longer on land.