Images show devastating floods from Tropical Storm Toraji in Philippines
A fifth major storm in less than a month is expected to hit the Philippines on Thursday afternoon, potentially making landfall in the province of Cagayan or Isabela, PAGASA officials said.
Man saved from drowning after Tropical Storm Toraji drenches Philippines
Rescuers of Task Force Lingkod Cagayan-Quick Response Team in the Philippines pulled the man from the Cagayan River in northeastern Philippines. (Courtesy: Cagayan Provincial Information Office)
Devastating floods struck the northern Philippines on Monday, when Tropical Storm Toraji became the fourth tropical storm to hit the island nation in three weeks.
Toraji, locally known as Nika, made landfall Monday morning as a typhoon near San Agustin in the province of Isabela in northeastern Philippines.
The typhoon had maximum sustained winds of about 80 mph with gusts exceeding 110 mph, according to the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA).
A resident wades through a flooded street at a village in Ilagan town, Isabela province on November 12, 2024, a day after Typhoon Toraji hit the province.
(Villamor VISAYA / AFP / Getty Images)
Toraji dropped between 7 and 15 inches of rain in the nearby province of Cagayan, according to the FOX Forecast Center, causing floods throughout the region.
The water level of the Cagayan River, the longest river in the Philippines, passed the critical level of 11 meters (about 36 feet) at Buntun Bridge and continues to rise, according to the Philippine Information Agency in Cagayan Valley.
Mayor Maila Ting Que of Tuguegarao City in Cagayan called for the immediate evacuation of villagers in flood-prone areas.
Rooftops and treetops peek above floodwaters in Cagayan.
(Cagayan Information Office / FOX Weather)
About 561 families, or nearly 1,700 individuals, in 35 low-lying villages were evacuated, according to the Cagayan Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office. Most evacuees are taking shelter in either village halls, schools or with relatives.
Another major storm is expected to hit the Philippines on Thursday afternoon, potentially making landfall in the province of Cagayan or Isabela, PAGASA officials said. Called Ofel, it will be the fifth major storm to make landfall in the Philippines in less than a month.
An aerial photo shows a swollen river inundating farm fields and houses at a village in Ilagan town, Isabela province on November 12, 2024, a day after Typhoon Toraji hit the province.
(Villamor VISAYA / AFP / Getty Images)
Other storms to hit the country recently include Tropical Storm Kristine, or Trami; Super Typhoon Leon, or Kong-Rey; and Tropical Storm Marce, or YinXing. Together, they devastated dozens of provinces and affected more than 4 million individuals, according to UNICEF.
The Philippines sees an average of 20 tropical cyclones each year, PAGASA officials said.