MANILA, Philippines โ Tropical Storm Bualoi swept across the central Philippines, leaving at least 10 people dead and forcing more than 433,000 residents to evacuate from flood- and landslide-prone areas, disaster officials said on Friday, September 27.
The storm made landfall in San Policarpo, Eastern Samar, on Thursday night, packing maximum sustained winds of 110 kilometers per hour. It toppled trees and power lines, triggered floods and minor landslides, and ripped roofs off houses and even a grandstand. Power outages were reported across parts of Eastern Visayas and Bicol.
Authorities preemptively evacuated residents from high-risk areas, including Albay province where communities at the foot of Mayon Volcano were told to move to shelters due to the threat of volcanic mudflows.
โPreparedness saved lives, but the storm still brought significant damage,โ said Bernardo Rafaelito Alejandro IV of the Office of Civil Defense.
Bualoi is the second tropical storm to hit the country in just days, following Typhoon Ragasa โ one of the strongest in years โ which left at least 28 people dead in northern Philippines and Taiwan before weakening over Vietnam.
The Philippines is battered by about 20 tropical cyclones each year, making it one of the most disaster-prone countries in the world.
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