THE death toll from the strongest typhoon to hit the Philippines this year has risen to 18 as the disaster agency warned Saturday of “severe damage” in the hardest-hit areas.

More than 300,000 people fled their homes and beachfront resorts as Typhoon Odette (international name: Rai) ravaged the southern and central regions of the country, knocking out communications in many areas and toppling concrete power poles.

Odette was a super typhoon when it smashed into the popular tourist island of Siargao on Thursday, packing maximum sustained winds of 195 kilometres per hour (120 miles per hour).

Its wind speeds eased to 150 kph as it barrelled across the archipelago, ripping roofs off houses, uprooting trees and littering streets with debris.

More than 18,000 military, police, coast guard and fire personnel will join search and rescue efforts in the worst-affected regions, Mark Timbal, spokesman for the national disaster agency, told AFP.

“There has been severe damage” in Surigao and Siargao, Timbal said, referring to the areas that bore the brunt of the typhoon.

Communications were still down in Siargao and in the nearby city of Surigao, which is on the northern tip of the southern island of Mindanao.

Philippine Coast Guard has shared photos on social media showing widespread destruction around Surigao, with roofs torn off buildings, wooden structures shattered and palm trees stripped of fronds.

Aerial footage showed swathes of rice fields under water.

Dinagat Vice Governor Nilo Demerey told broadcaster ABS-CBN the storm devastated the island near Siargao and left at least six people dead.

That takes the overall death toll to 18, with the disaster agency also reporting seven missing and two injured.

“Odette was so strong,” Demerey said, using the local name for the typhoon.

Residents “are trying to repair their houses because even our evacuation centres were torn down. They can’t seek refuge anywhere else… everything was destroyed.”

After lashing Palawan island, Rai emerged over the South China Sea on Saturday and was headed towards Vietnam, the state weather forecaster said.

Rai hit the Philippines late in the typhoon season — most cyclones typically develop between July and October.

Scientists have long warned that typhoons are becoming more powerful and strengthening more rapidly as the world becomes warmer because of human-driven climate change.

The Philippines — ranked as one of the world’s most vulnerable countries to the impacts of climate change — is hit by an average of 20 storms and typhoons every year, which typically wipe out harvests, homes and infrastructure in already impoverished areas.

Carlos orders massive PNP search, rescue, relief ops

Philipppine National Police (PNP) chief, General Dionardo B. Carlos on Saturday ordered massive police search, rescue and relief operations in parts of the country badly devastated by powerful winds and rains brought about by super-tyhoon ‘Odette.’

“I have reminded all police regional offices which were directly hit by typhoon ‘Odette’ to focus on our assistance to all search, rescue and relief as well as clearing operations and in securing all evacuation centers,” the top cop said.

Carlos said he wants the strict observance of minimum public health safety protocols specifically the mandatory wearing of face masks in government-run evacuation centers to help prevent the further spread of COVID-19 and its more deadly variants.

The PNP chief likewise ordered his men to continue sharing all their available resources, vehicles and search-and-rescue equipment to disaster response and local government units in their respective areas.

“Our personnel are now closely coordinating with their respective LGUs. Some communication lines and power supply are down, that’s why it was extra challenging for us to get real-time updates from the different areas. Pero dahil napaghandaan na rin ng ating personnel and units ang papalapit na bagyo, nakapag plano ang ating Team PNP kasama ang mga LGUs and DRRMCs,” he said.

Carlos also cited the challenge they are facing in going to the affected areas due to the presence of debris as well as fallen trees, toppled electric posts and other infrastructures which have littered the roads.

“Our personnel are also assisting in some of the road clearing operations. Kailangan din ng mga kababayan natin sa mga far flung areas na nasalanta ng bagyo, ay mahatiran ng tulong,” he said.

Carlos, joined by PNP Director for Operations, Brigadier Gen. Valeriano T. de Leon and PNP Director for Logistics, Brig. Gen. Ronaldo E. Olay flew to Panay Island to conduct an aerial survey using a police chopper yesterday.

They will also proceed to Negros Island.

Carlos will proceed Sunday to Cebu and Bohol to join President Duterte in his visit to the region to provide assistance to the typhoon victims.

Typhoon ‘Odette’ uprooted trees, toppled electric posts and power lines and destroyed houses and other government and private infrastructures.

In Cebu City, authorities reported that four fast crafts sunk due to the storm while many houses in Barangays Salvacion, Salvacion, Hingatungan, Laguma, Sudmon, Tubaon and Poblacion District 2 in Silago, Southern Leyte were damaged although no casualty was reported.

In Calapan City, Oriental Mindoro, piers have already resumed operations as at least 1,700 local residents were preemptively evacuated prior to the typhoon. By ALFRED DALIZON & AFP

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Alfred P. Dalizon