Philippines’ proximity to the Pacific Ring of Fire makes it particularly vulnerable to natural calamities such as volcanoes, earthquakes and hurricanes. Nearly 20 storms of devastating proportions ravage the country every year. Typhoon Yutu, a vigorous storm swept across northern regions in the Philippines on the 30th of October. The intensity of the typhoon was strong enough to displace large volumes of soil, debris and rock. Six natives lost their lives and thousands were forced to evacuate their rural dwellings.
More than twenty individuals were reported to be stuck in a federal building that was allegedly covered in debris. Construction was underway at the edifice. Damage from landslide was widespread as access to entire localities was cut off, making it difficult to implement rescue efforts.
Typhoon Yutu slackened considerably in force as it made its way across the Sierra Madre range. After going past the mountains, the storm turned towards the west, swept across the provinces of Nueva Vizcaya, Benguet and La Union, before entering the South China Sea.
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Northern Mariana Islands
Before transiting the Philippines, Typhoon Yutu ravaged through the Northern Mariana Islands to the east, a United States commonwealth territory, where the storm achieved Category 5 status with speeds as high as 180 mph. Needless to say, devastation was widespread with power outages and damaged buildings that were brought down to rubble. Elections had to be deferred to mid November.
More than 3000 South Korean tourists were vacationing in the region, especially Saipan, a popular holiday destination. The South Korean government deployed many of its military planes on air borne rescue missions to evacuate South Korean tourists until commercial aircraft activity could be restored at the Saipan airport.
The American Red Cross and other charitable associations were in the thick of action, distributing food, water and first aid. Non potable water was also made available for basic needs. The neighboring Guam region also lent a helping hand by mobilizing 140 National Guard personnel. The US President Donald Trump gave the official go ahead to release disaster relief funds.
Severe damage to gas connections in Tinian, one of the main islands in Northern Mariana, meant that more than half the local population’s power supply would remain impacted for months on end. Since a majority of the people can’t afford storm resilient concrete constructions, many homes were complete run to ground.
Dos and Don’ts if You’re Travelling to the Region
- Get immune to local health hazards such as tetanus, hepatitis A and seasonal flue through vaccinations
- Stock up on adequate medical supplies for the journey
- Carry your health insurance documents with you
- Take backups of your travel, ID and financial documents and contacts to guard against misplacement while travelling
- Subscribe to Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) for emergency notifications and updated information