Death toll nears 400 after Super Typhoon Rai devastates parts of Philippines
Super Typhoon Rai was the strongest cyclone to make landfall in the Philippines in 2021
Super Typhoon Rai kills 375 people in the Philippines
Rescue crews are trying to reach victims from Super Typhoon Rai that hit the Philippines. 375 people have been confirmed dead so far.
Dozens of people remain missing, and aid agencies are pleading for help nearly a week after Super Typhoon Rai ravaged parts of the Philippines with sustained winds of around 150 mph.
Agencies estimate more than 9 million people lived in the impacted areas, where widespread damage occurred.
Super Typhoon Rai strengthened into a category 5 cyclone before landfall.
(NOAA)
The Associated Press reported at least 375 people were dead, and dozens of others were missing, mainly in the country’s central region.
The Philippine Red Cross reported that the typhoon severely interrupted water supplies, communications, and power lines.
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Image 1 of 6Fallen electric pylons block a road while a sign asking for food (L) is displayed along a road in Surigao City, Surigao del norte province, on December 19, 2021, days after super Typhoon Rai devastated the city. (FERDINANDH CABRERA/AFP via Getty Images)
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Image 2 of 6Residents walk past their destroyed homes in Hernani town, Eastern Samar province on December 17, 2021, a day after Super Typhoon Rai pummeled the southern and central regions of the Philippines. (ALREN BERONIO/AFP via Getty Images)
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Image 3 of 6Residents stand in a flooded area in the coastal town of Guiuan, central Philippines' Eastern Samar province on December 16, 2021, after Super Typhoon Rai passed. (ALREN BERONIO/AFP via Getty Images)
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Image 4 of 6A local tourist arrives to take shelter at a sports complex turned evacuation center in Dapa town, Siargao island, Surigao del Norte province in southern island of Mindanao on December 16, 2021, as Typhoon Rai barrel the island. (ROEL CATOTO/AFP via Getty Images)
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Image 5 of 6In this photo taken on December 17, 2021, residents stand next to a destroyed market building in General Luna town, Siargao island, Surigao del norte province, a day after super Typhoon Rai devastated the island. (KATE HUGHES/AFP via Getty Images)
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Image 6 of 6This photo taken on December 17, 2021 shows a resident salvaging belongings among debris caused by Super Typhoon Rai after the storm crossed over Surigao City in Surigao del Norte province. (ERWIN MASCARINAS/AFP via Getty Images)
"Filipinos are rallying together with courage, but after losing everything in this savage storm, international support will enable hundreds of thousands of people to rebuild their homes and decimated livelihoods," the Chairman of the Philippine Red Cross, Richard Gordon, said in a statement.
The Red Cross and other agencies said relief efforts were hampered because of the lack of access in the impacted areas.
Meteorologists say some residents may have been caught off guard by how quickly the cyclone strengthened before impacting the Philippines.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said the cyclone rapidly intensified from the equivalent of a category 1 hurricane to a super typhoon with maximum sustained winds of 160 mph in the hours before landfall.
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Typhoon Rai, known locally as Typhoon Odette, was the fifteenth tropical cyclone to impact the island country in 2021.
The area surrounding the Philippines is considered to be the most active for tropical cyclones in the world.
The Philippines’ weather service says around 20 cyclones usually threaten the area each year, with the peak season usually taking place from July through October.