With the country battered by multiple storms, authorities order evacuations ahead of Usagi’s landfall and another storm on the horizon.

MANILA — As the Philippines braces for Super Typhoon Usagi, authorities have evacuated over 24,000 people from northeastern provinces, particularly in Cagayan, in preparation for the storm’s landfall. The nation, already recovering from four previous typhoons in a month, faces another severe weather system with this storm and another tropical storm, Man-yi, expected to arrive soon.

Usagi, locally known as Ofel, is forecast to strike the Cagayan province by Thursday afternoon, bringing heavy rains and strong winds that are expected to cause further flooding, especially along the swollen Cagayan River.

“We expect the Cagayan river to swell again because of rains brought by Usagi,” stated Rueli Rapsing, head of the Cagayan disaster relief office. The storm has already caused moderate to heavy rains in central and southern Cagayan, with gusts reaching speeds of 100 kph (62 mph). Authorities are preparing for potential power outages and communication breakdowns by stockpiling essential supplies, including generators.

Evacuations are ongoing, especially in areas that were previously affected by earlier storms, such as Tropical Storm Trami, which struck in October, causing extensive damage and killing at least 159 people, with 22 still missing.

Meanwhile, another storm, Man-yi, is on course to hit the central Philippines on Saturday, leading to advisories from the transport ministry discouraging non-essential travel in affected regions.

On average, the Philippines experiences about 20 tropical storms annually, making typhoons a common and devastating natural disaster. The latest storms highlight the country’s vulnerability, exacerbating risks of flooding, strong winds, and landslides.