play_arrow

keyboard_arrow_right

Listeners:

Top listeners:

skip_previous skip_next
00:00 00:00
playlist_play chevron_left
volume_up
  • cover play_arrow

Scores Killed As Tropical Storm Hits Philippines

Background

By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent Worthy News

MANILA (Worthy News) – Tropical Storm Trami in the Philippines has left at least 82 dead and tens of thousands displaced due to heavy rains and flooding, authorities said Friday.

Footage reviewed by Worthy News showed that rescue efforts are challenging in the hardest-hit areas, including the Bicol and Batangas provinces, due to difficult accessibility and thick mud.

A Christian worker from Bicol, Meriam Comia, told Worthy News that despite the devastation, “God is so good, ” adding that a brother managed to reach a shelter for evacuees in time. Water was partly flooding her home, but it was still standing. “Due to the storm, I could not reach my workplace, but I am happy to be alive,” she said. “But many people died.”

Officials said the storm brought two months’ worth of rain in just two days, causing widespread devastation and prompting the evacuation of nearly 320,000 people.

But the onslaught may not be over: State forecasters raised the rare possibility that the storm — the 11th and one of the deadliest to hit the Philippines this year — could make a U-turn next week.

Trami made landfall Thursday on the northeast coast of Luzon, the country’s most populous island, and caused widespread flooding and landslides.

The Bicol Peninsula, at the southeastern end of Luzon, was worst-hit, with floodwaters chasing people and their pets to the second story of their homes.

MANY ON ROOFS

“Many are still trapped on the roofs of their homes and asking for help,” Andre Dizon, policy director for the hard-hit Bicol region, added in separately published remarks.“We hope the floods will subside today since the rain has stopped.”

But accessibility remained a significant issue for rescuers Friday, especially in Bicol, President Ferdinand Marcos said. “That’s the problem we’re having with Bicol. It’s so difficult to penetrate,” he said, adding that the heavily saturated ground led to “landslides in areas that didn’t have landslides before.”

However, as Tropical Storm Trami blew away from the northwestern Philippines on Friday,
a Philippine provincial police chief said Friday that 49 people were killed, mostly in landslides set off by Trami in Batangas province south of Manila, the capital.

That reportedly brought the overall death toll from the storm to at least 82, but the toll was likely to rise fast.

Eleven other villagers remain missing in Batangas, Col. Jacinto Malinao Jr. told reporters from the lakeside town of Talisay, where he stood beside a villager whose wife and child were buried in the deep mound of mud, boulders, and trees.

Experts are divided over what causes the high death toll, with several blaming it on climate change while others also mention intense building and a lack of adequate infrastructure as reasons.

Due to its location in the Pacific typhoon belt, prone to extreme weather, the Philippines experiences an average of 20 tropical storms and typhoons yearly.

In 2013, Typhoon Haiyan killed more than 7,300 people.

Copyright 1999-2026 Worthy News. This article was originally published on Worthy News and was reproduced with permission.


Latest News from Worthy News

Shutdown Standoff Deepens as Democrats Block DHS Funding Over ICE Restrictions
Shutdown Standoff Deepens as Democrats Block DHS Funding Over ICE Restrictions
Tuesday, March 24, 2026

The partial government shutdown stretched into its 39th day Tuesday as Senate Democrats rejected a Republican-backed plan to reopen the Department of Homeland Security, drawing sharp criticism from conservatives who argue politics is being placed ahead of national security.

Louisville to Pay $800K After Christian Photographer Wins Free Speech Case
Louisville to Pay $800K After Christian Photographer Wins Free Speech Case
Tuesday, March 24, 2026

Louisville, Kentucky has agreed to pay $800,000 in attorney’s fees to Christian photographer Chelsey Nelson following her legal victory over the city’s public accommodations law, which had required her to photograph same-sex weddings if she offered services for traditional marriages.

Hezbollah’s Missile Power Decimated, But Deadly Strikes Continue in Israel
Hezbollah’s Missile Power Decimated, But Deadly Strikes Continue in Israel
Tuesday, March 24, 2026

Israeli intelligence assessments indicate Hezbollah has been significantly weakened, losing an estimated 85% of its missile arsenal since the war ignited by Hamas’ October 7 massacre. The Iranian-backed terror group is now believed to possess between 11,000 and 13,000 rockets—roughly one-sixth of its pre-war stockpile.

Trump Declares ‘Regime Change’ in Iran as U.S. Pushes Toward Ceasefire Framework
Trump Declares ‘Regime Change’ in Iran as U.S. Pushes Toward Ceasefire Framework
Tuesday, March 24, 2026

U.S. President Donald Trump said Tuesday that the ongoing conflict with Iran has already resulted in what he described as a “regime change,” signaling a dramatic shift in leadership dynamics within the Iranian government as Washington presses forward with negotiations to end hostilities.

Israel Signals Intent to Establish Security Buffer in Southern Lebanon Up to Litani River
Israel Signals Intent to Establish Security Buffer in Southern Lebanon Up to Litani River
Tuesday, March 24, 2026

Israel’s Defense Minister Israel Katz announced Tuesday that Israeli forces plan to occupy southern Lebanon up to the Litani River, outlining a strategy to create a “defensive buffer” amid ongoing conflict with the Iranian-backed Hezbollah terrorist organization.

U.S. Prepares Rapid Deployment of 82nd Airborne as Iran Tensions Escalate
U.S. Prepares Rapid Deployment of 82nd Airborne as Iran Tensions Escalate
Tuesday, March 24, 2026

The Pentagon is preparing to deploy a brigade combat team from the Army’s elite 82nd Airborne Division to the Middle East, according to a Wall Street Journal report citing U.S. officials, signaling a significant escalation in America’s posture toward Iran.

Senior Nigerian Evangelical Leader Abducted As Church Attacks Raise Alarm
Senior Nigerian Evangelical Leader Abducted As Church Attacks Raise Alarm
Tuesday, March 24, 2026

A senior leader of one of Nigeria’s largest evangelical denominations has been abducted in Nigeria’s central Plateau State while concern remains about several Christian worshipers kidnapped elsewhere in the turbulent African nation, Christian sources said Tuesday.

WHO WE ARE

The Psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs encapsulate the beauty, wisdom, and eternal truths found in the Bible, creating an immersive experience that resonates with believers and seekers alike.

CONTACT