Deadly Typhoon Surigae leaves flooding, damage behind in the Philippines
By
Maura Kelly, AccuWeather meteorologist &
Adam Douty, AccuWeather senior meteorologist
Published Apr 21, 2021 1:37 PM EDT
|
Updated Apr 22, 2021 12:29 PM EDT
Strong waves churned by Typhoon Surigae crashed the shores of Sorsogon, Philippines, on April 19. The storm packed winds of 121 mph, forcing thousands of evacuations.
Typhoon Surigae continued its sluggish northward journey on Thursday, local time, as the storm continued to lash the northern Philippines with rough surf, heavy rain and strong winds for the sixth consecutive day.
As the storm finally begins to move out to sea during the second half of the week, it will leave behind widespread flooding in addition to a trail of damage across a large portion of the eastern Philippines.
This infrared satellite image shows Super Typhoon Surigae bringing rain and strong winds to portions of the Philippines on April 19, 2021. (CIRA/RAAMB)
(NASA Earth Observatory / Joint Polar Satellite System).
Surigae became the first typhoon of 2021 in the West Pacific basin during the middle of last week. The typhoon then set another first, becoming the first super typhoon of the season Saturday, according to the Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC).
The storm was given the name Bising in the Philippines once it entered the area monitored by the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA). Once a tropical storm or typhoon enters this area, it is given a name by PAGASA separate from the international name that it may have already been designated.
At one point Sunday morning, Surigae's strength was equivalent to a Category 5 major hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale in the Atlantic or Eastern Pacific oceans. The storm has since lost some wind intensity, though it remains a dangerous typhoon.
The above satellite loop shows Surigae spinning as a powerful typhoon just east of Luzon, Philippines, on the afternoon of Wednesday, April 21. (CIRA RAMMB)
According to NASA, when Surigae reached Category 5 strength on April 17, "it marked the earliest date in the year that any storm in the Northern Hemisphere had reached such intensity in modern record-keeping."
The ferocious storm at one point was packing sustained winds of 190 mph (305 km/h), according to the JTWC, which measures winds using a 1-minute average.
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The storm began lashing the eastern Philippines late Saturday as the outer rainbands reached the Visayas. A tumultuous sea could also be seen just offshore of the province Sunday morning as Surigae approached the area.
A cargo vessel ran aground in the southern Philippines after rough seas reportedly broke its anchor on Monday, according to The Associated Press. The ship also listed as it began to take in water, the AP said. The bodies of four crew members were found Wednesday, while seven others who had jumped off the distressed vessel were rescued. Nine others remain missing.
Philippines Coast Guard spokesman Commodore Armand Balilo told the AP that those rescued had been floating in their life jackets and float rings for two days.
This photo provided by the Philippine Coast Guard shows the cargo vessel LCT Cebu Great Ocean aground along the shoreline of Barangay Cantapoy, Malimono, Surigao del Norte, southern Philippines on Monday, April 19, 2021. Rescuers in the southern Philippines found the bodies of four crew members Wednesday and rescued several others who jumped off a cargo vessel, which took in water and listed after its anchor broke in rough seas, officials said. (Philippine Coast Guard via AP)
As strong winds kicked up dangerous seas across the eastern Philippines over the weekend and early this week, bouts of heavy rain inundated portions of Eastern Visayas and southeastern Luzon.
Widespread rain amounts reached 8-12 inches (200-300 mm) in the eastern Philippines through Wednesday, resulting in an increased threat of flooding and landslides across the region.
Despite not making landfall, Surigae's rainfall exceeded 20 inches (500 mm) in some areas. In Virac, 20.13 inches (511 mm) of rain fell in the five days from Saturday to Wednesday.
On Sunday morning, local time, Catanduanes Governor Joseph Cua put mandatory evacuation orders in place for residents living near shorelines, riverbanks and landslide-prone areas in the Catanduanes province. This evacuation included more than 100,000 people.
According to the Philippines National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) a total of nearly 230,000 people were affected.
The NDRRMC reported four deaths from the storm, in addition to the four that died after jumping overboard when their boat began taking on water. At least 13 people were injured.
Due to the flooding and wind from the storm, more than 1,000 homes were either damaged or destroyed.
A nontropical storm system currently moving across eastern China and toward Japan is already beginning to turn Surigae's track to the east. This storm system is expected to Surigae on an easterly track into the beginning of next week before it gets absorbed by the system.
Across the northern Philippines Sea, Surigae will run into less favorable conditions for tropical cyclones, which should cause the storm to lose wind intensity late next week, according to AccuWeather Meteorologist Tony Zartman.
Surigae will still have to be watched closely as impacts to Iwo To and the Volcano Islands to the south of mainland Japan cannot be ruled out.
While there is no official start or end date to the tropical season in the West Pacific, most tropical systems develop between May and October.
Keep checking back on AccuWeather.com and stay tuned to the AccuWeather Network on DirecTV, Frontier, Spectrum, FuboTV, Philo, and Verizon Fios.
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News / Hurricane
Deadly Typhoon Surigae leaves flooding, damage behind in the Philippines
By Maura Kelly, AccuWeather meteorologist & Adam Douty, AccuWeather senior meteorologist
Published Apr 21, 2021 1:37 PM EDT | Updated Apr 22, 2021 12:29 PM EDT
Strong waves churned by Typhoon Surigae crashed the shores of Sorsogon, Philippines, on April 19. The storm packed winds of 121 mph, forcing thousands of evacuations.
Typhoon Surigae continued its sluggish northward journey on Thursday, local time, as the storm continued to lash the northern Philippines with rough surf, heavy rain and strong winds for the sixth consecutive day.
As the storm finally begins to move out to sea during the second half of the week, it will leave behind widespread flooding in addition to a trail of damage across a large portion of the eastern Philippines.
This infrared satellite image shows Super Typhoon Surigae bringing rain and strong winds to portions of the Philippines on April 19, 2021. (CIRA/RAAMB)
Surigae became the first typhoon of 2021 in the West Pacific basin during the middle of last week. The typhoon then set another first, becoming the first super typhoon of the season Saturday, according to the Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC).
The storm was given the name Bising in the Philippines once it entered the area monitored by the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA). Once a tropical storm or typhoon enters this area, it is given a name by PAGASA separate from the international name that it may have already been designated.
At one point Sunday morning, Surigae's strength was equivalent to a Category 5 major hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale in the Atlantic or Eastern Pacific oceans. The storm has since lost some wind intensity, though it remains a dangerous typhoon.
The above satellite loop shows Surigae spinning as a powerful typhoon just east of Luzon, Philippines, on the afternoon of Wednesday, April 21. (CIRA RAMMB)
According to NASA, when Surigae reached Category 5 strength on April 17, "it marked the earliest date in the year that any storm in the Northern Hemisphere had reached such intensity in modern record-keeping."
The ferocious storm at one point was packing sustained winds of 190 mph (305 km/h), according to the JTWC, which measures winds using a 1-minute average.
CLICK HERE FOR THE FREE ACCUWEATHER APP
The storm began lashing the eastern Philippines late Saturday as the outer rainbands reached the Visayas. A tumultuous sea could also be seen just offshore of the province Sunday morning as Surigae approached the area.
A cargo vessel ran aground in the southern Philippines after rough seas reportedly broke its anchor on Monday, according to The Associated Press. The ship also listed as it began to take in water, the AP said. The bodies of four crew members were found Wednesday, while seven others who had jumped off the distressed vessel were rescued. Nine others remain missing.
Philippines Coast Guard spokesman Commodore Armand Balilo told the AP that those rescued had been floating in their life jackets and float rings for two days.
This photo provided by the Philippine Coast Guard shows the cargo vessel LCT Cebu Great Ocean aground along the shoreline of Barangay Cantapoy, Malimono, Surigao del Norte, southern Philippines on Monday, April 19, 2021. Rescuers in the southern Philippines found the bodies of four crew members Wednesday and rescued several others who jumped off a cargo vessel, which took in water and listed after its anchor broke in rough seas, officials said. (Philippine Coast Guard via AP)
As strong winds kicked up dangerous seas across the eastern Philippines over the weekend and early this week, bouts of heavy rain inundated portions of Eastern Visayas and southeastern Luzon.
Widespread rain amounts reached 8-12 inches (200-300 mm) in the eastern Philippines through Wednesday, resulting in an increased threat of flooding and landslides across the region.
Despite not making landfall, Surigae's rainfall exceeded 20 inches (500 mm) in some areas. In Virac, 20.13 inches (511 mm) of rain fell in the five days from Saturday to Wednesday.
On Sunday morning, local time, Catanduanes Governor Joseph Cua put mandatory evacuation orders in place for residents living near shorelines, riverbanks and landslide-prone areas in the Catanduanes province. This evacuation included more than 100,000 people.
According to the Philippines National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) a total of nearly 230,000 people were affected.
The NDRRMC reported four deaths from the storm, in addition to the four that died after jumping overboard when their boat began taking on water. At least 13 people were injured.
Due to the flooding and wind from the storm, more than 1,000 homes were either damaged or destroyed.
A nontropical storm system currently moving across eastern China and toward Japan is already beginning to turn Surigae's track to the east. This storm system is expected to Surigae on an easterly track into the beginning of next week before it gets absorbed by the system.
Across the northern Philippines Sea, Surigae will run into less favorable conditions for tropical cyclones, which should cause the storm to lose wind intensity late next week, according to AccuWeather Meteorologist Tony Zartman.
Surigae will still have to be watched closely as impacts to Iwo To and the Volcano Islands to the south of mainland Japan cannot be ruled out.
While there is no official start or end date to the tropical season in the West Pacific, most tropical systems develop between May and October.
Related:
Keep checking back on AccuWeather.com and stay tuned to the AccuWeather Network on DirecTV, Frontier, Spectrum, FuboTV, Philo, and Verizon Fios.
Report a Typo