Tropical Storm Yagi leaves at least 14 dead in the northern Philippines

Tropical Storm Yagi leaves at least 14 dead in the northern Philippines

Tropical Storm Yagi moved out of the northern Philippines on September 2, 2024, after leaving at least 14 people dead in landslides, floods and swollen waterways.

The supplied AP report says the storm, locally called Enteng, swept past Paoay in Ilocos Norte province and into the South China Sea, carrying sustained winds of up to 75 kilometres per hour and gusts of up to 125 kph. Forecasters said it was expected to strengthen as it headed northwest toward southern China.

In the Philippines, the immediate concern was the human toll. Disaster-response officials said the storm had killed at least 14 people across northern and central provinces. Among the dead were residents in Antipolo, a pilgrimage city west of Manila, where a hillside landslide buried shanties and where four others were reported missing after their house was swept away.

The report makes clear that Yagi’s danger came not only from wind but from water. It enhanced seasonal monsoon rains and dumped heavy precipitation across Luzon, including in metropolitan Manila, where classes and government work were suspended. Storm warnings remained in force in much of the north, with officials warning about further landslides in mountain villages and flooding in farming lowlands.

The storm also disrupted travel. Thousands of passengers were stranded after sea travel was halted in several ports and 34 domestic flights were suspended. That kind of disruption is a familiar but serious consequence in an archipelago where weather events can cut off whole regions quickly.

The AP piece also reports that a training ship in Manila Bay was hit by another vessel that lost control in rough seas. The ship’s bridge was damaged and later caught fire, forcing 18 cadets and crew to abandon it. A tugboat rescued 17, while one person swam to safety. That episode illustrated how storm conditions multiplied risks beyond the direct flooding and landslides.

The Philippines faces storms every year, and the source notes the country’s position in the Pacific Ring of Fire makes it especially vulnerable to disasters. Even so, the immediate story on September 2 was straightforward: Yagi moved on, but it left a deadly trail behind it. The death toll, the missing people, the damaged transport network and the continuing warnings suggested that the storm’s effects would continue after the weather system itself had passed.

For residents of the hardest-hit provinces, the question was not only how much wind remained, but how much more rain-soaked ground would give way before the emergency eased.

The storm’s path also explains why the damage spread so quickly. By enhancing the seasonal monsoon, Yagi did not simply pass over the Philippines; it fed weather conditions that already favour flooding and slope failures in vulnerable areas. That is why the official warnings stayed in place even after the centre of the system moved out to sea.

The AP report also notes that the Philippines sees about 20 typhoons and storms a year, which helps explain why warnings remain serious even after a storm shifts course. In a country that routinely deals with fast-moving hazards, the combination of landslides, flooded roads and stranded travellers is an all-too-familiar emergency pattern.