Typhoon Odette

Typhoon Rai, known in the Philippines as Typhoon Odette, is a tropical cyclone over the South China Sea which recently passed through the Philippines. Rai became the first Category 5 super typhoon since Nock-ten to form in the month of December and the third Category 5 super typhoon to exist in the South China Sea after Pamela of 1954 and Rammasun of 2014. The twenty-second tropical storm and ninth typhoon of the 2021 Pacific typhoon season, the system originated from a tropical disturbance near the equator on December 9.

 However, it dissipated on the next day as another area of convection lingered near the dissipating feature that same day. Conditions around the system were favorable for further development, and it slowly developed into a tropical depression on December 12. On the same day, the United States Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC)[nb 1] issued a Tropical Cyclone Formation Alert (TCFA) on the consolidating depression. Further intensification ensued, and Rai was upgraded into a tropical storm on the next day before passing south of Ngulu Atoll. After passing near Palau with unknown impacts, Rai entered the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR) by the night of December 14, whereas the PAGASA named it "Odette". On the next day, both the JMA and JTWC raised the system's intensity to a low-end Category 1-equivalent typhoon as an eye continued to appear. While approaching the Philippines, Rai unexpectedly rapidly intensified into a Category 5 super typhoon[nb 2] just before its first landfall across Siargao. It then slowly but steadily weakened as it traversed Visayas, exiting into the Sulu Sea. After making its last landfall over Palawan, Rai continued to weaken before unexpectedly re-intensifying into a Category 5-equivalent typhoon by December 18 while nearing Vietnam; it was downgraded once again by the next day.

Rai caused severe and widespread damage throughout the Southern Philippines, killing at least 186. The typhoon was estimated to have caused at least ₱25 billion ($501 million) worth of damage across the Philippines.[79][80]

Typhoon Rai making landfall in General Luna, Surigao del Norte in the Philippines on the evening of December 16.

Over 100,000 people were moved to higher ground as flooding occurred.[84] Strong winds and heavy rainfall also impacted Guiuan, Eastern Samar, with rough waves bashing the shores of the province, according to a news correspondent of 24 Oras.[85] The same situation was also felt across the entirety of Western Visayas.[86] As Rai impacted Liloan in Southern Leyte, an area there was described as "cut-off", indicating that there was no electricity or means of communications in the place. A GMA News reporter recalling his experience inside the storm reported that the building where his team was sustained considerable damage, comparing it to Typhoon Haiyan in terms of ferocity. Their vehicles also received damage from the storm. After the storm passed over the area, the whole municipality was reported to be isolated.[87][88] Many provinces in Mindanao also were severely affected by the typhoon. In Cagayan de Oro, despite rushing water, rescue teams continued to save many people in their houses from the floods. A house was heavily destroyed by Odette's strong winds in Agusan del Norte while a barge of unknown origins was left stranded by the storm's waves on a shore, still in the province.[89] Storm surge also impacted the coast boulevards of Surigao del Norte while Iligan's Mandulog River overflowed. The incident was a horror to many residents there, due to the same effect Tropical Storm Washi in 2011 brought. Further south, it also caused rough waves over Cateel.[90] The Cagayan de Oro River also overflowed, causing several homes to be near-completely inundated.[91] The first fatality from the storm was reported at Iloilo, where a woman was crushed to death in her house by a bamboo tree.[92]

"The first responders themselves are victims. So this is Typhoon Haiyan [Yolanda] again."[nb 5]

Arthur Yap, Bohol Governor on an interview at a news station about the effects of Typhoon Rai on the province.[93]

Surigao City was deprived of electricity and communications due to downed power lines while scores of trees left many roads impassable. Many buildings in the area were also devastated and the overall impact of Rai in the area were described as "widespread". Clean water supply became a problem in the city while almost all coastal houses were destroyed by the typhoon's storm surge. The main wet market of the area was also closed, still due to the effects of the system.[94][95] Authorities are verifying a possible second death due to Rai in the city and a third elsewhere in southern Mindanao. The mayor of Surigao City, Ernesto Matugas also estimated that 100% of the area was devastated due to Odette, also appealing for aid to the government.[96] Aid was also requested by the province of Bohol, where a chief of the area's Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (PDRRMO) described Rai as the "one of the worst ever for the province". Many areas in the island were severely inundated, including Loboc, among the worst hit. The whole province also lost power services.[97] The governor of the province, Arthur Yap estimated the damages at ₱5 billion ($100 million).[79] A terminal in Siargao

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Typhoon_Rai#Current_storm_information