Rescuers in Tuguegarao City have begun cleaning up with backhoes and chainsaws after the devastating devastation left by Typhoon Uwan. As floods recede in hundreds of barangays, the death toll has climbed to 18.
Up to 1.4 million people have been displaced by the typhoon, which has now weakened to a severe tropical storm as it heads towards Taiwan. Several towns in Isabela and Nueva Vizcaya remain inaccessible due to landslides. One of the fatalities was a 10-year-old child from Nueva Vizcaya.
According to NDRRMC Deputy Administrator Rafaelito Alejandro, there are 28 injured in Cagayan Valley, Calabarzon, Bicol, and Western Visayas, while two more are missing in the Cordillera. It is estimated that it will take several weeks for the affected areas to fully recover.
More than 4,100 houses were damaged, and 105 roads and 46 bridges were impassable. In Catanduanes, it could take 20 days before water supply is restored. The DSWD has also distributed 10,000 family food packs as assistance to residents.
In Cagayan, many families were evacuated after the Cagayan River overflowed and parts of Tuguegarao were submerged. Experts say typhoons are becoming stronger due to climate change, which is warming the sea and bringing heavier rains.
