Typhoon Gaemi claimed the lives of at least four people and forced the evacuation of hundreds of thousands in the Philippines, where parts of Manila are flooded even as the storm moves towards Taiwan.
Packing sustained winds of up to 165 kilometers (103 miles) per hour, the storm shut financial markets, schools and offices, and forced cancellations of flights and ferries in both archipelagos. It’s expected to make landfall in northern Taiwan late Wednesday, potentially causing billions of dollars in damages.
“This is shaping up to be a significant disaster in an economically and politically sensitive area,” said Chuck Watson, a disaster modeler with Enki Research. The storm is expected to strengthen over the next 12 hours to the equivalent of a Category 4 hurricane, according to data from the US Joint Typhoon Warning Center.
It may be days before full human and economic cost is clear in the Philippines, but at least four people died in a landslide and more than half a million people have been displaced by rains from the typhoon and a southwest monsoon, according to a local government and the national disaster management agency. Floodwaters in the capital of Manila inundated vehicles and brought traffic to a standstill, with some residents being seen climbing on top of stranded buses.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. ordered “all concerned agencies to provide swift assistance to all those affected.”
The vast storm is already bringing heavy rain to Taiwan, including the capital Taipei. Taiwan President Lai Ching-te urged residents in low-lying areas and those prone to landslides to evacuate early.
Gaemi was located about 150 kilometers southeast of Yilan, a northeastern county in Taiwan, as of 12pm on Wednesday. The typhoon is likely to make landfall Wednesday night, before passing through the northern part of the island and entering the Taiwan Strait on Thursday morning, according to the Central Weather Administration.
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., the main chipmaker for Apple Inc. and Nvidia Corp., said it’s taking routine precautions for its local fabs while state-owned Taiwan Power Co. said about 6,000 manpower are on standby for repair work.
Hundreds of domestic and international flights and ship crossings have been canceled, authorities said.
Photograph: Rescuers ride a boat to reach residents trapped by flooding in the Philippines caused by Typhoon Gaemi on July 24, 2024. Photo credit: Ezra Acayan/Getty Images
Topics Catastrophe Natural Disasters Flood
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