Tropical Storm Co-may swept across the northern Philippines on Friday (July 25), worsening more than a week of heavy monsoon rains that have caused deadly flooding, landslides, and widespread evacuations.
Once classified as a typhoon, Co-may made landfall Thursday night in Agno, Pangasinan province, with maximum sustained winds of 120 km/h and gusts up to 165 km/h, according to The Associated Press (AP).
By Friday afternoon, the storm had weakened to 85 km/h as it moved northeastward across Luzon.
While Co-may itself had not caused any immediate fatalities, the country’s disaster-response agency confirmed at least 25 deaths since last weekend due to weather-related incidents, including flash floods, landslides, fallen trees, and electrocution. Eight people remain missing.
According to reports, more than 278,000 people have been displaced, seeking shelter in emergency centres or with relatives.
Both sea and air travel were suspended in northern provinces affected by the storm.
Over 80 towns and cities have declared states of calamity, which allows for the rapid release of emergency funds and imposes price controls on essential commodities like rice.
Thousands of emergency personnel — including military personnel, police, firefighters, the Coast Guard, and civilian volunteers — have been deployed to assist residents stranded by floodwaters or isolated by landslides and debris-blocked roads.
The Philippines, located between the Pacific Ocean and the South China Sea, is hit by an average of 20 tropical storms or typhoons each year. According to AP, combined with frequent earthquakes and active volcanoes, it remains one of the most disaster-prone countries in the world.
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