Typhoon Odette, International Name 'Rai,' wreaks havoc over Vis-Min region

            On December 14^th of 2021, PAGASA announced that a severe tropical storm with an international name “Rai” has entered the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR) and was named “Odette”. At around 10pm that time, the center of severe tropical storm Odette was estimated based on all available data at 890 km East of Mindanao. Odette has an intensity of maximum sustained winds of 100 km/h near the center, gustiness of up to 125 km/h and central pressure of 985 hPa. Its present movement upon detection was heading West Northwestward with a speed of 15 km/h passing Surigao del Sur, Surigao del Norte, over the coastal waters of San Juan in Southern Leyte, Nueva Valencia in Guimaras, and Araceli in Palawan. The typhoon was so severe that the southeastern portion of Eastern Samar and some parts of Mindanao (Dinagat, Eastern portion of Surigao del Norte, Siargao, Bucas Grande Islands and the northern portion of Surigao del Sur) was announced to be Tropical Cyclone Wind Signal No. 1 also known by many as Signal No. 1.

In just about 2 days after entering PAR, Typhoon Odette intensifies further and has made a landfall over Siargao Island, Surigao del Norte on December 16, 2021. Several flood advisories was posted and Southern Leyte and some parts of Mindanao (Dinagat Islands, northern portion of Agusan del Norte, Surigao del Norte and northern portion of Surigao del Sur) was already in TCWS 3 or Signal no. 3. Videos and some clips were seen on social media about the damages this typhoon has made. On the same day when Odette made a landfall in Siargao, it continues to maintain its intensity while heading over Liloan, Southern Leyte. By then, Southern Leyte, eastern portion of Bohol, Dinagat Islands, Surigao del Norte including Siargao and Bucas Grande Islands were announced to be in Signal No. 4.

Aerial view of Negros Occidental After Typhoon Odette
taken from:  whereinbacolod.com 

A lot has happened after the landfall of Typhoon Odette but the good thing about severe tropical typhoons is that the higher the signal is the shorter its duration. As it traversed the northern portion of Bohol, it slightly weakens at around 8:00 pm on the same day Odette made a landfall in Siargao. Odette then further weakens and makes a landfall in the vicinity of Carcar, Cebu. This then made the central and southern portions of Cebu to be under Signal No. 4.

On December 17^th of 2021, Typhoon Odette was over the Panay Gulf and passes over the Sulu Sea between Cuyo and Cagayancillo Islands affecting the Negros region and Guimaras. Typhoon Odette continues to move westward at 25 km/h and headed to West Philippine Sea.

Damage caused by Typhoon Odette
courtesy of gmanetwork.com

By now, the latest forecast on Typhoon Odette is that it continues to intensify again while heading to West Philippine Sea and all Tropical Cyclone Wind Signals were removed. MIMAROPA, Northern Mindanao, Caraga and Western, Central and Eastern Visayas were placed under state of calamity. As of December 20, 2021, the Philippine National Police recorded at least 375 deaths due to the typhoon.

Despite the havoc caused by the typhoon, LGUs and NGOs provide reliefs to the areas affected by the typhoon. Lives, properties, hopes and dreams were taken in just a week but it also made us stronger and stand together.