Storm blows away from northern Philippines

Tropical Storm Trami blew away from northwestern Philippines on Friday, leaving at least 66 people dead in landslides and extensive flooding that forced authorities to scramble for more rescue boats to save thousands of terrified people who were trapped, some on their roofs.

But the onslaught may not be over: State forecasters raised the rare possibility that the storm – the 11th and one of the deadliest to hit the Philippines this year – could make a U-turn next week.

The storm was last tracked at dawn blowing 125 kilometers west of the coastal town of Bacnotan in northern La Union province with sustained winds of up to 95 kilometers per hour and gusts of up to 115 km/h. It was moving northwest at 25 km/h toward Vietnam, which was forecast to be lashed by Trami starting on Sunday if it stays on course.

The Philippine weather agency, however, said it's possible that high-pressure winds and other weather factors could force the storm to turn back toward the Philippines.

A government forecaster said Trami could turn toward the western Philippines early next week, but it's more likely to blow away from the Philippines again without making landfall.

Although Trami did not strengthen into a typhoon, it dumped unusually heavy rains in some regions, including some that saw one to two months' worth of rainfall in just 24 hours, inundating communities with flash floods.

At the foothills of the Mayon volcano in Albay province, mud and other debris cascaded toward nearby towns as the storm hit, engulfing houses and cars in black-colored mudflows.

More than 2.6 million people were affected by the deluge, with nearly 320,000 people fleeing into evacuation centers or relatives' homes, disaster mitigation officials said.

Last month, Typhoon Yagi battered Vietnam, killing 323 people and causing extensive damage valued at $3.3 billion, according to a Vietnamese government report.

Each year, about 20 storms and typhoons batter the Philippines. In 2013, Typhoon Haiyan, one of the strongest recorded tropical cyclones, left more than 7,300 people dead or missing and flattened entire villages.

(Cover: A flooded area due to the heavy rains brought about by Tropical Storm Trami in Tuguegarao City, province of Cagayan, the Philippines on October 25, 2024. /CFP