The fierce storm, described as “one of the most powerful typhoons to ever hit the southern Philippines” by the chairman of the Philippine Red Cross, has left hundreds of people dead and has completely cut off some communities from the outside world.

As of Monday, the death toll in the Philippines had risen to at least 375 people, with another 56 people missing and over 500 injured, according to The Washington Post.

Government officials were having difficultly assessing the full scope of the damage due to the extensive loss of telecommunications in the affected provinces, Al Jazeera reported. Flooded roadways and extensive debris are adding more challenges to rescuers attempting to reach the hardest-hit areas.

The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) called Rai “a terrible surprise for the festive season” as it severely flooded cities and towns, tore homes and businesses to shreds and littered the ground with downed power lines, snapped trees and other debris.

“The full picture is only just starting to emerge, but it is clear there is widespread devastation. It is heartbreaking to see homes, Red Cross offices and even a hospital ripped apart. We hold grave fears for people in areas, including Siargao and other islands that still have no communication and contact with the outside world,” Alberto Bocanegra, IFRC Head of the Philippine Country Office, said in a statement.

The Philippine Coast Guard released aerial pictures on Friday of homes that were leveled and left unrecognizable by the fury of Rai.

Siargao Island sustained significant damage as the typhoon first roared ashore Thursday afternoon, local time, with the equivalent strength of a Category 5 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale (maximum sustained winds of at least 156 mph) in the Atlantic or East Pacific basins.

In total, Rai made eight landfalls as it weaved through the various islands that make up the south-central Philippines, according to the country’s National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council.

The islands of Mindanao and Nonoc also sustained significant devastation.

Source: https://www.upi.com/Top_News/World-News/2021/12/20/philippines-Super-Typhoon-Rai-Philippines-deaths/4841640034711/

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Nov. 9 (UPI) — Bangladeshi authorities ordered about 500,000 people to evacuate ahead of Cyclone Bulbul, which made landfall at midnight Saturday night.

The storm, which is also known as Tropical Cyclone Matmo, made landfall in the world’s largest mangrove forest between Bangladesh and India. The cyclone had estimated sustained winds of 92 and gusts of 115 mph, according to the U.S. Joint Typhoon Warning Center. In the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale, a Category 1 storm’s sustain wind range from 96 mph to 110 mph.

Airports and seaside ports were shut down ahead of the storm. Indian authorities put military ships and planes on standby to assist with emergencies.

About 500,000 have been evacuated from the coastal region of Bangladesh ahead of the storm, according to Enamur Rahman, a minister of Bangladesh’s Disaster Management and Relief.

“We have taken all measures and people from coastal area … they have been moved to the cyclone shelters,” Rahman said Saturday.

Local volunteers helped spread awareness in the community and armed forces provided security.

Officials suspended operations at Shah Amanat International Airport in Chittagong due to the storm, Rhaman added. Kolkata Airport operations were also suspended.

The Indian Meteorological Department classified Bulbul as a severe cyclonic storm with maximum sustained winds of about 68 mph to nearly 75 mph — similar to a tropical storm or Category 1 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson hurricane wind scale.

The National Disaster Response Force and the Odisha Disaster Rapid Action Force began to clear uprooted trees to allow traffic to flow in affected areas.

Around 3,000 people were evacuated so far from low-lying coastal areas in the state of Odisha, officials said.

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