Jan Wesner Childs
In this photo provided by the Philippine coast guard, rescuers evacuate residents to safer ground as flooding caused by Tropical Storm Choi-wan hits Maasin City in Southern Leyte province, central Philippines, on Tuesday, June 1, 2021.At least three people are dead after a tropical storm brought flooding rain and mudslides to parts of the Philippines.
The storm, named Choi-wan but called Dante locally, forced thousands of villagers from their homes in the southern and central regions of the country, according to the Associated Press.
The Philippine coast guard was conducting rescue missions in the Mindanao and Eastern Visaya regions, according to Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade.
Tugade said operations were ongoing in several areas including Agusan Del Norte, Ormoc City and Maasin in Southern Leyte. Coast guard districts in Bicol and northeastern Luzon were also ready to respond if needed.
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Photos posted to social media by Tugade showed residents being carried through waist-high water.
The storm crossed through the central Philippines and on Wednesday was passing through the capital district of Manila.
"This storm isn't strong, but it doesn't take a strong storm to cause issues," said weather.com meteorologist Jonathan Belles. "Flooding and mudslides are the biggest problems."
The bulk of the rain has fallen in the central Philippines, with some communities between eastern Mindanao and Mindoro reporting 3 to 6 inches with heavier local rainfall, Belles said.
The dead included a baby killed in a landslide and a 14-year-old girl who was swept away after she rushed with her father to a riverbank to rescue their farm animals, the AP reported. The father was still missing.
The third victim was a 71-year-old man who drowned in Davao del Sur province.
The floods forced some 2,600 people from their homes. About 600 went to evacuation centers. The Philippines Department of Social Welfare and Development said in a news release that eight evacuation centers had been established.
More than 3,000 passengers and crew were stranded in central and southern seaports after sea travel was suspended due to the stormy weather. One crew abandoned their small cargo ship carrying sand and gravel when it started to take on water near Albuera town in central Leyte province, according to the AP. The crew was reported to be safe.
The Philippines is considered one of the most disaster-prone countries in the world. On average, several tropical storms and typhoons hit the country each year.
The Weather Company’s primary journalistic mission is to report on breaking weather news, the environment and the importance of science to our lives. This story does not necessarily represent the position of our parent company, IBM.
The Weather Company’s primary journalistic mission is to report on breaking weather news, the environment and the importance of science to our lives. This story does not necessarily represent the position of our parent company, IBM.
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