Super Typhoon Man-yi intensified on Saturday as it barreled toward the Philippines, prompting warnings of potentially catastrophic impacts from the state weather agency. With millions at risk, over 650,000 people have evacuated their homes in anticipation of the powerful storm, which is set to make landfall late Saturday or early Sunday.
Packing wind gusts of up to 240 kilometers per hour (149 miles per hour), Man-yi is expected to strike the island province of Catanduanes as a super typhoon or near peak intensity. Officials have raised alarms over towering seas, with waves up to 14 meters (46 feet) high predicted around Catanduanes, and storm surges of 1-3 meters threatening over 7.6 million people.
The Philippines, reeling from five storms in the past month that claimed 163 lives, faces widespread devastation from Man-yi. The typhoon threatens to exacerbate the plight of thousands left homeless, wiping out crops and livestock in its path.
Government officials urged residents to prioritize safety. “If preemptive evacuation is required, let us do so and not wait for the hour of peril,” Interior Undersecretary Marlo Iringan warned, highlighting the risks not only to civilians but also to rescue teams.
In Albay province, families like that of grocer Myrna Perea took shelter in cramped evacuation centers. “I think our house will be wrecked,” Perea, 44, said, acknowledging that survival outweighs material loss.
Evacuation centers in Catanduanes were nearing capacity as power outages swept across the region. Generators provided critical electricity to shelters and command centers. In the provincial capital Virac, over 400 people crowded the government building, while new evacuees were redirected to a gymnasium. Soldiers were dispatched to coastal villages to enforce mandatory evacuations amid fears of storm surges.
Typhoon-related risks extend beyond Catanduanes. The volcanology agency warned of potential lahars—flows of volcanic sediment—triggered by heavy rains from Man-yi, particularly from the Taal volcano south of Manila.
Local officials lamented the recurring devastation caused by typhoons. “Whenever there’s a typhoon like this, it brings us back to the medieval era,” said Rei Josiah Echano, a disaster officer in Northern Samar, emphasizing the long-term economic toll.
In addition to grounding nearly 4,000 travelers at ports after the coast guard shut 55 facilities, all vessels, from fishing boats to oil tankers, have been ordered to remain docked.
The Philippines typically faces about 20 major storms annually, but the frequency and intensity of recent events have raised concerns about climate change’s role. Earlier this month, four storms simultaneously swirled in the Pacific—an unprecedented occurrence in November, according to the Japan Meteorological Agency.
As the nation braces for Man-yi, it serves as another stark reminder of the growing challenges posed by extreme weather.
