Super Typhoon Ragasa lashes northern Philippines, forces mass evacuations

Manila: Super Typhoon Ragasa, one of the most powerful storms to hit the region this year, swept past the northern Philippines on Monday, unleashing heavy rains and fierce winds that forced thousands to evacuate and prompted widespread shutdowns of schools, offices, and transportation.

The storm, locally called Nando, packed sustained winds of 215 kph (134 mph) with gusts up to 265 kph (165 mph). By midday Monday, it was hovering near Calayan Island in Cagayan province, cutting off electricity and threatening destructive flooding and landslides across northern Luzon. The state weather bureau warned of storm surges reaching up to three meters in low-lying coastal towns in Cagayan, Batanes, Ilocos Norte, and Ilocos Sur.

More than 8,200 people fled their homes in Cagayan alone, while 1,220 residents sought shelter in evacuation centres in Apayao, a mountainous province highly vulnerable to flash floods. Disaster officials confirmed that power was knocked out across Apayao and Calayan Island but reported no immediate casualties.

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. ordered the suspension of classes and government work in Metro Manila and 29 northern provinces, underscoring the nationwide scale of precaution. Domestic flights were grounded, and ferries and fishing boats were barred from leaving ports due to dangerous seas.

The typhoon is the 14th weather disturbance to strike the Philippines this year, once again spotlighting the country’s vulnerability to extreme weather. Coming amid ongoing congressional inquiries into corruption linked to flawed flood-control projects, the disaster response has drawn added scrutiny.

While Ragasa is forecast to veer toward southeastern China later this week, authorities stressed that northern Luzon remains at risk of torrential rains, swollen rivers, and landslides. For communities across the north, the immediate focus remains survival — as families brace for more days of uncertainty under the shadow of one of the year’s fiercest storms.