Typhoon Rai (Odette) has made landfall on Siargao Island on the eastern coast of Philippines, the national weather institution PAGASA reported. The streets and households in residential areas were flooded after heavy rain. Tens of thousands of people were evacuated from their homes, and airlines canceled dozens of flights. Thousand others were also stranded in the ports as transportation authorities halted sea and land travel in the central and southern parts of the country.
The typhoon is expected to hit the central and southern parts of the country and wreak havoc on Surigao, located on the northern tip of Mindanao, one of the country’s largest islands.