MANILA, Sept 21 – Urgency and uncertainty hang heavy over the Philippines and Taiwan as Super Typhoon Ragasa continues its aggressive advance westward, gathering momentum and threatening devastation along its path. Both governments have issued evacuation orders, preparing communities for the worst as the powerful storm edges closer.
The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) reported that Ragasa is undergoing “rapid intensification,” with maximum sustained winds of 185 kilometers per hour, and gusts reaching up to 230 kph as of 11 a.m. The storm is expected to make landfall by Tuesday afternoon, possibly slamming into the sparsely populated Batanes or Babuyan Islands.
Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla emphasized the need for immediate action: “Local officials must waste no time in moving families out of danger zones.”
In Taiwan, preparations are equally urgent. Nearly 300 residents in Hualien County are being evacuated, with more expected to follow depending on the storm’s trajectory. Taiwan’s Central Weather Administration warned that a land typhoon alert would be issued by tonight, as Ragasa approaches offshore early tomorrow morning.
Severe Flooding & Landslide Warnings
Philippine weather specialist John Grender Almario said during a Sunday briefing that “severe flooding and landslides” are expected, particularly in the northern regions of Luzon, the country’s largest island. The storm’s most destructive phase is anticipated at 8 a.m. tomorrow, with heavy rains and powerful winds likely to affect surrounding provinces.
Even as the capital Manila prepares for peripheral impacts, the city was the scene of mass protests today. Thousands rallied against allegedly fraudulent flood control projects, a growing corruption scandal implicating lawmakers and resulting in billions of pesos unaccounted for—projects that were supposed to protect vulnerable communities from disasters like Ragasa.
Climate Crisis in Motion
With the Philippines located directly in the Pacific cyclone belt, it faces around 20 storms and typhoons annually, a brutal reality that keeps millions living on the edge. Experts say that as climate change accelerates, storms like Ragasa will only become stronger and more frequent.
The Hong Kong Observatory has also issued warnings, stating that weather in the region would “deteriorate gradually” by Tuesday and Wednesday, with conditions resembling the devastating Typhoon Mangkhut of 2018.
