MANILA — Typhoon Usagi has unleashed its fury on the northern Philippines, forcing thousands of residents to flee as it made landfall in Baggao, Cagayan province at 0530 GMT on Thursday, November 14. With winds reaching a staggering 175 km/h, Usagi is the fifth storm to batter the country in less than a month, raising alarms among officials and residents alike.

The catastrophic weather pattern has already claimed 159 lives and prompted the United Nations to issue an urgent appeal for $32.9 million in aid for the most affected areas. As Usagi struck, the national weather service had initially raised the storm alert to its highest level but later downgraded it, a decision that has puzzled many given the severe conditions reported.

Officials predict that the storm could lead to "considerable damage to structures of light materials," while moderate damage is expected to even sturdier buildings. Uprooted trees and "intense to torrential rain" are forecasted alongside life-threatening coastal waves that may surge up to 3 meters, raising fears of flooding and infrastructure damage.

President Ferdinand Marcos has been visiting storm-affected locations, urging compliance with evacuation orders. In his address to residents of Mindoro island, he emphasized the importance of safety over possessions, stating, "While we cannot prevent typhoons from hitting our shores, we can enhance our infrastructure to mitigate their impact." His remarks underline the pressing need for sustainable solutions amid the growing frequency of severe weather incidents attributed to climate change.

Desperate Evacuations Underway

In Cagayan, officials have escalated their efforts to evacuate residents from both coastal regions and areas near swollen riverbanks. Local disaster official Edward Gaspar announced that many residents were initially evacuated as a precaution but are now facing forced evacuations as conditions worsen. With 1,404 individuals already sheltered in a municipal gym, the count is expected to rise as teams attempt to reach nearby villages.

The civil defense chief, Rueli Rapsing, estimated that about 40,000 people may need to be relocated to shelter from the storm. This comes on the heels of thousands still remaining in shelters from previous storms, highlighting an overwhelming situation as the Cagayan river continues to be swollen from incessant rain upstream.

As Usagi approaches, the Philippines braces for yet another storm. Tropical Storm Man-yi is predicted to impact the central regions, including Manila, this weekend, raising concerns about compounding devastation and an exhausted emergency response.

A Series of Devastating Storms

The ongoing weather crises illustrate the perilous cycle the Philippines is trapped in, as Gustavo Gonzalez, the UN Philippines Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator, notes, "Typhoons are overlapping. Just as communities try to recover, another storm strikes." The combination of rapid succession storms leads to depleted resources and overwhelmed humanitarian response efforts.

Recent assessments revealed that 207,000 homes were damaged or destroyed by these storm patterns this past month, with nearly 700,000 individuals seeking temporary shelter. Many affected families lack basic essentials such as sleeping mats and hygiene kits, while access to safe drinking water remains critically limited. Additionally, vast areas of farmland have been devastated, further complicating food security issues.

The Philippines, situated in the typhoon belt of the Pacific, endures roughly 20 major storms annually, perpetuating a cycle of destruction and poverty for millions. A recent study highlights that these storms are forming closer to the coastlines, intensifying more rapidly, and lingering longer on land due to climate change—an ongoing crisis that demands urgent global attention and local action.

Stay informed and stay safe: The impacts of climate change are affecting us all, and the need for quick and effective solutions could not be more apparent.