Tropical Storm Trami triggers floods in Philippines, trapping some people on roofs

Schools and government offices closed on Luzon island, while thousands of passengers were stranded in several seaports

Reading Time:3 minutes

Residents look at a car buried by volcanic ash which cascaded into a Philippine village triggered by heavy rains sparked by Tropical Storm Trami in Guinobatan town, Albay province, on Wednesday. Photo: AFP

Published: 11:00am, 23 Oct 2024Updated: 2:11pm, 23 Oct 2024

Torrential rain set off by an approaching tropical storm swamped eastern Philippine cities and towns overnight in widespread flooding that trapped people, some on their roofs, and sparked frantic appeals for rescue boats and trucks, officials said on Wednesday.

The government shut down public schools and government offices, except those urgently needed for disaster response, on the entire main island of Luzon to protect millions of people as Tropical Storm Trami blew closer from the Pacific.

At least person died after being hit by a fallen tree branch in central Masbate province while seven others were reported missing, including three men who sailed to fish in the high seas from Masbate but haven’t returned, officials said.

The storm was about 310km (193 miles) east of Baler in the northeastern province of Aurora with sustained winds of 85 kilometres (53 miles) per hour and gusts to 105kph (65mph).

Its wide rain band could dump up to 20 centimetres (8 inches) of rainwater in one day of intense downpours in the most vulnerable provinces on its path, according to state forecasters.

The storm was forecast to hit Aurora’s coast Wednesday night to early Thursday, then barrel across northern Luzon’s mountain range, valleys and plains before exiting to the South China Sea later in the week, they said.