Typhoon Rai, locally named Odette, touches down in Visayas and Mindanao islands with heavy rains, harsh winds, flash floods, and storm surges, nine days before Christmas 2021.
The super typhoon entered the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR) on December 14, with a category 5 strength; the most intense cyclone recorded on Earth in 2021 and the sixth to reach said category.
On December 16, Typhoon Odette further intensified and swept the southern and central Philippines as the tropical storm made its initial landfall in Siargao Island, Surigao Del Norte.
Odette made eight more landfalls in the provinces of Dinagat Islands, Southern Leyte, Bohol, Cebu, Negros Oriental, and Palawan before exiting in the West Philippines Sea.
According to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) of the Philippines, nine regions were affected. MIMAROPA, Caraga, Regions V, VI, VII, VIII, IX, X, and XI all suffered from wind damage, flooding, and landslides interrupting road access, power, and communication throughout the affected areas.
The typhoon caused power outages in 227 cities and municipalities, as well as network disruptions in 135 locations.
DSWD Disaster Response Operations Monitoring and Information Center (DROMIC) reports a total of 927,369 families or 3,599,109 persons were affected by the typhoon in 5,652 barangays in the regions affected.
Typhoon Odette in District 4
BORONGAN CITY, Eastern Samar -- Along with many other provinces that withstood the fury of Typhoon Odette, Borongan City, Eastern Samar was not left unscathed of the destruction it created.
Boronganons describe their experience with the storm as overwhelming and terrifying.
Marianlyn Dadia, a 14-year-old student residing in Brgy. Cabong, shared her story by emphasizing how anxious and worried her family felt by stocking up on goods and preparing emergency bags in case of evacuation.
“My father covered our windows and reinforced our fences. We also restocked our food and water supply, prepared emergency bags and other necessities like flashlights, candles, batteries, and many more,” Dadia stated.
In the same way, a nine-year-old boy from Brgy. Taboc, Yosef Acorin, also expressed the uneasiness he felt during the typhoon.
“Although the typhoon didn’t affect our province much, I was still very anxious hearing the strong howling of winds and loud thunderstorms outside my window.”
As the typhoon left the country, Carlito Beato, a teenager residing in Brgy. Bato, said contacting friends and family in other provinces was a topmost priority after the typhoon subsided.
“We first made sure all of our family members in other locations were safe,” Beato said.
Meanwhile, Carisha Yabora, a young working adult, conveyed that she suffered from the electricity outage and network interruptions the typhoon caused.
“Personally, the hardest part about this disaster was not having electricity and internet for a while, because my work depends on it and those are factors I can't control."
Bulig Sangkay is a Donation Drive conducted by a team of volunteers from Borongan City to provide aid to the people of Padre Burgos, Southern Leyte who have been severely affected by the Typhoon Odette.
Photos by Bulig Sangkay. To find out more about Bulig Sangkay and their Donation Drive in Padre Burgos, click the link below or click the picture attached.
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