A deluge from Tropical Storm Trami killed at least 126 people in the Philippines, according to United Press International. Others were left stranded on rooftops awaiting rescue. The country deployed its ships and aircraft from its military to assist in evacuations.
What's happening?
Torrential rainfall from Tropical Storm Trami, known in the Philippines as Severe Tropical Storm Kristine, caused devastating flooding and landslides that forced the evacuation of over 160,000 people from their homes in the country. Over 5 million people found themselves in the path of the storm.
Some parts of the country received two months' worth of rain in just 24 hours. The storm packed maximum sustained winds of 59 mph as it moved westward across the mountains of northern Cordillera.
Several deaths were due to drowning and landslides in the central Bicol region, per Reuters. Schools and businesses were closed ahead of the storm, which made landfall on the northeastern Philippine coast in late October.
"The Philippines are highly prone to disasters triggered by natural disasters, with some estimations placing 60% of its land area and 74% of its population as exposed to numerous hazards, including floods, cyclones, droughts, earthquakes, tsunamis and landslides," according to the World Bank Group's Climate Change Knowledge Portal.
Since 1990, the country has experienced nearly 600 natural disasters that have killed 70,000 people and caused $23 billion in damages.
Why is flooding from tropical storms in the Philippines important?
Global climate models forecast hurricanes to cause more intense rainfall and raise the risk of coastal flooding on our overheating planet.
Some of the devastating flooding Hurricane Milton caused in Florida is estimated to have been 20-30% more intense and around twice as likely because of our warming world.
Our warming climate was also determined to be a key driver of the catastrophic impacts Hurricane Helene caused in both coastal and inland communities. The storm is another example of how our warming world is "enhancing conditions conducive to the most powerful hurricanes like Helene, with more intense rainfall totals and wind speeds," according to scientists with World Weather Attribution.
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🔘 Nothing 🤷
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The Philippines experiences around 20 cyclones per year within its area of responsibility, and around eight make landfall. In 2013, the region was devastated by Typhoon Haiyan, the strongest recorded typhoon in recent years. The storm killed more than 6,000 people and damaged over 1 million homes.
What's being done about the rising risk of tropical cyclones?
The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has been helping with mitigation efforts in the Philippines. It has focused on several initiatives, including climate resilience and green growth measures for three of the national capital region's critical watersheds. Zone management, urban land use planning, and community-based disaster risk reduction and management are among the initiatives.
Embracing renewable energy resources in order to reduce reliance on dirty energy sources and secure a more sustainable future is critical, and there is promising news for this energy sector. Louisiana is making history this year by launching its first two offshore wind farms in state waters. Meanwhile, solar farms are employing new, innovative technology to find faster, cheaper ways to build large facilities.
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