Thousands stranded by floods in Philippine capital due to a deadly typhoon have spurred calls for climate action
Thursday saw much of the Philippine capital submerged under floodwaters following the exacerbation of torrential monsoon rains by deadly Typhoon Gaemi. The deluge trapped thousands of people and caused extensive damage across the country. Philippine authorities reported that continuous heavy rains, along with massive flooding and landslides, resulted in the deaths of at least 13 individuals and displaced over 600,000 others by Thursday during a disaster relief briefing.
Unlike Taiwan, where the typhoon, locally known as Carina, did not make landfall, its potent outer bands unleashed more than 300 mm (12 inches) of rainfall in the Manila region and parts of Luzon. This prompted officials to declare a state of calamity in the capital on Wednesday and evacuate tens of thousands of residents. Distressing scenes from Manila depicted people navigating chest-deep waters, clinging to power lines, and being rescued by disaster response teams from inundated homes and streets turned into rivers.
Parts of Metro Manila, with its population of 13 million, reported floodwaters reaching the height of one-story buildings, with some individuals stranded on rooftops awaiting rescue, as reported by the Philippine News Agency.
The southwest monsoon, intensified by Typhoon Gaemi, continued to wreak havoc even after the storm moved northward and made landfall in Taiwan early Thursday, equivalent to a Category 3 hurricane. Taiwan experienced heavy rainfall, strong winds, and a perilous storm surge that claimed the lives of at least two individuals and injured nearly 300, according to the Central Emergency Operations Center.
Taiwan remained largely paralyzed for a second consecutive day, with flight cancellations, closures of financial markets, schools, and offices, and reports from mountainous areas indicating up to 1,219 mm (48 inches) of rainfall.
Off Taiwan’s coast, a Tanzanian-registered cargo ship carrying nine crew members sank amid rough seas, resulting in all crew members falling into the sea wearing life jackets. Rescue operations were launched by Taiwan’s National Fire Agency.
The typhoon’s trajectory into the Taiwan Strait on Thursday aimed it toward China’s southeast coastal Fujian province, where it was expected to bring additional heavy rains and strong winds, compounding the already severe flooding and damage caused by weeks of extreme weather.
Meanwhile, the Philippine Coast Guard responded to a maritime incident involving an oil tanker that capsized off Bataan, west of Manila, with 16 crew members rescued and efforts ongoing to locate the missing crewmember.
On land, the flooding led to extensive disruptions, including the closure of schools, businesses, and the cancellation of over 150 flights on Thursday. Rescue operations continued to extract trapped residents from flooded structures, with homes submerged and vehicles inundated on city streets.
In Quezon City, north of Manila, severe flooding prompted the evacuation of more than 55,000 people, including nearly 16,000 families, who sought refuge in evacuation centers, as reported by local authorities.
The Philippine Red Cross launched an urgent appeal for donations to assist the affected population, highlighting the dire conditions faced by families and children in knee- and chest-deep floods.
The unfolding disaster underscores the Philippines’ ongoing struggle to cope with increasingly intense and unpredictable storms exacerbated by the climate crisis, disproportionately affecting the nation’s most vulnerable communities. Recent history, including the devastation wrought by Super Typhoon Rai in 2021 and Typhoon Haiyan in 2013, illustrates the escalating toll of such extreme weather events.
As experts warn of the Global South’s diminishing capacity to manage climate-related disasters independently, communities in low-lying coastal areas face an imminent threat from rising sea levels, further exacerbating the urgency for robust international support and climate action.