A fast-moving typhoon blew away from the Philippines on Monday after leaving at least 13 people missing, forcing thousands of villagers to flee to safety and flooding rural villages, disaster-response officials said.

The 13 people missing from Typhoon Molave included a dozen fishermen who ventured out to sea over the weekend despite a no-sail restriction due to very rough seas. There were no immediate reports of casualties.

The typhoon was blowing west toward the South China Sea with sustained winds of 125 kilometers per hour and gusts of up to 150 kph. It roared overnight through island provinces south of the capital, Manila, which was lashed by strong winds but escaped major damage.

At least 25,000 villagers were displaced, with about 20,000 taking shelter in schools and government buildings that were turned into evacuation centers, the Office of Civil Defense said, but officials added that some have returned home in regions where the weather has cleared.

“Villagers are now asking to be rescued because of the sudden wind which blew away roofs,” Humerlito Dolor, governor of Oriental Mindoro province, told DZMM radio.

Dolor said pounding rains overnight swamped farming villages in his province then fierce winds toppled trees and power posts early on Monday, knocking out power. Authorities were clearing roads of fallen trees and debris in some towns after the typhoon passed, he said.

In the eastern province of Catanduanes, the 12 fishermen were reported missing after they failed to return home from a weekend fishing expedition, officials said.

A yacht sank off Batangas province, south of Manila, and the coast guard said it managed to rescue seven crewmen but was still searching for another crewmember.

A passenger and cargo vessel also ran aground on Bonito island off Batangas as the region was pounded by fierce wind and rain early Monday. The coast guard said its personnel were on the way to the island to pick up five crewmembers and tow the vessel back to coast.

More than 1,800 cargo truck drivers, workers and passengers were stranded in ports after the coast guard barred ships and ferry boats from venturing into rough seas, officials said. Some of the ports were later reopened as the weather cleared.

About 20 typhoons and storms annually batter the Philippines, and the Southeast Asian archipelago is seismically active, with earthquakes and volcanic eruptions, making it one of the world’s most disaster-prone countries.

Related Stories
‹
Christmas Typhoon Leaves 20 Dead in Philippines
A strong typhoon that barreled through the central Philippines left at least 20 people dead and forced thousands to flee their homes, devastating Christmas celebrations in the predominantly Catholic country. Typhoon Phanfone stranded many people in sea and airports at the peak of holiday travel, set off landslides, flooded low-lying villages, destroyed houses, downed trees […]
Powerful Typhoon Leaves at least 4 Dead in Philippines
Typhoon Kammuri barreled across the Philippines with fierce winds and rain Tuesday, leaving at least four people dead, forcing hundreds of thousands of villagers to abandon high-risk communities and prompting officials to shut Manila’s international airport. Kammuri toppled trees and electrical posts, ripped off tin roofs and battered a provincial airport as it blew across […]
Spain Searches for Bodies After Unprecedented Flooding Claims at Least 158 Lives
Crews searched for bodies in stranded cars and sodden buildings Thursday as people tried to salvage what they could from their ruined homes following monstrous flash floods in Spain
One on One: The Great Floods of 1916 and 2024
D.G. Martin writes about several instances of major floods in North Carolina, and how people's experiences with Helene is the latest chapter.
Climate Thursday: Haw Riverkeeper Emily Sutton
Emily Sutton of the Haw River Assembly speaks with 97.9 The Hill News Director Brighton McConnell on Thursday, August 8.
Hurricane Debby Makes Landfall in Florida as Category 1 Storm and Threatens Catastrophic Flooding
Hurricane Debby reached the coast of Florida on Monday, bringing the potential for catastrophic flooding and life-threatening storm surge.
10,000 People Are Missing and Thousands Are Feared Dead as Eastern Libya Is Devastated by Floods
Written by SAMY MAGDY Emergency workers uncovered hundreds of bodies as they dug through the wreckage of Libya’s eastern city of Derna on Tuesday, and 10,000 people were reported still missing after floodwaters broke through dams and smashed through the city, washing away entire neighborhoods. At least 700 recovered bodies have been buried so far, […]
Hurricane Idalia Unleashes Fury on Florida After Making Landfall as a Dangerous Category 3 Storm
Written by DANIEL KOZIN Hurricane Idalia made landfall on Florida’s west coast as a catastrophic Category 3 storm on Wednesday and unleashed life-threatening storm surges and rainfall across an area that has never before received such pummeling. More than 230,000 customers were without electricity as trees snapped by strong winds brought down power lines and […]
Collapse of Major Dam in Southern Ukraine Triggers Emergency as Moscow and Kyiv Blame Each Other
Written by SUSIE BLANN The wall of a major dam in southern Ukraine collapsed Tuesday, triggering floods, endangering Europe’s largest nuclear power plant and threatening drinking water supplies as both sides in the war scrambled to evacuate residents and blamed each other for the destruction. Ukraine accused Russian forces of blowing up the Kakhovka dam and hydroelectric power station […]
As Epic Snow Melts, a California Community Braces for Floods
Written by AMY TAXIN and JAE C. HONG Ron Caetano is packed and ready to go. His family photos and valuables are in the trailer and he’s put food in carry totes. He moved the rabbits and chickens and their automatic feeders to higher ground. He and his family and dogs could get out in […]
›