Typhoon Vamco, known in the Philippines as Typhoon Ulysses, was a powerful and very destructive Category 4-equivalent typhoon that struck the
Philippines
The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no),
* bik, Republika kan Filipinas
* ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas
* cbk, República de Filipinas
* hil, Republ ...
and
Vietnam
Vietnam or Viet Nam ( vi, Việt Nam, ), officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam,., group="n" is a country in Southeast Asia, at the eastern edge of mainland Southeast Asia, with an area of and population of 96 million, making i ...
. It also caused the worst flooding in
Metro Manila
Metropolitan Manila (often shortened as Metro Manila; fil, Kalakhang Maynila), officially the National Capital Region (NCR; fil, link=no, Pambansang Punong Rehiyon), is the capital region, seat of government and one of three List of metrop ...
since
Typhoon Ketsana
Typhoon Ketsana, known in the Philippines as Tropical Storm Ondoy, was the second-most devastating tropical cyclone of the 2009 Pacific typhoon season, causing $1.15 billion in damages and 921 fatalities, only behind Morakot earlier in the se ...
in
2009
File:2009 Events Collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: The vertical stabilizer of Air France Flight 447 is pulled out from the Atlantic Ocean; Barack Obama becomes the first African American to become President of the United States; 2009 Iran ...
. The twenty-second named storm and tenth typhoon of the
2020 Pacific typhoon season
The 2020 Pacific typhoon season was the first with below-average tropical cyclone activity since 2001, with 23 named storms, 10 of which became typhoons and only 2 became super typhoons. This low activity was a consequence of La Niña that per ...
, Vamco originated as a tropical depression northwest of
Palau
Palau,, officially the Republic of Palau and historically ''Belau'', ''Palaos'' or ''Pelew'', is an island country and microstate in the western Pacific. The nation has approximately 340 islands and connects the western chain of the Caro ...
, where it slowly continued its northwest track until it made landfall in
Quezon
Quezon, officially the Province of Quezon ( tl, Lalawigan ng Quezon), is a Provinces of the Philippines, province in the Philippines located in the Calabarzon Regions of the Philippines, region on Luzon. Kalilayan was the first known name of th ...
. After entering the
South China Sea
The South China Sea is a marginal sea of the Western Pacific Ocean. It is bounded in the north by the shores of South China (hence the name), in the west by the Indochinese Peninsula, in the east by the islands of Taiwan and northwestern Phil ...
, Vamco further intensified in the
South China Sea
The South China Sea is a marginal sea of the Western Pacific Ocean. It is bounded in the north by the shores of South China (hence the name), in the west by the Indochinese Peninsula, in the east by the islands of Taiwan and northwestern Phil ...
until it made its last landfall in
Vietnam
Vietnam or Viet Nam ( vi, Việt Nam, ), officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam,., group="n" is a country in Southeast Asia, at the eastern edge of mainland Southeast Asia, with an area of and population of 96 million, making i ...
.
Vamco made its first landfall in the Philippines near midnight on November 11 in the
Quezon
Quezon, officially the Province of Quezon ( tl, Lalawigan ng Quezon), is a Provinces of the Philippines, province in the Philippines located in the Calabarzon Regions of the Philippines, region on Luzon. Kalilayan was the first known name of th ...
province as a Category 2-equivalent typhoon. The typhoon brought heavy rains in
Central Luzon
Central Luzon ( pam, (Reyun ning) Kalibudtarang Luzon, pag, (Rehiyon na) Pegley na Luzon, tgl, (Rehiyon ng) Gitnang Luzon, ilo, (Rehion/Deppaar ti) Tengnga ti Luzon), designated as Region III, is an administrative region in the Philippines, ...
, and the nearby provinces, including
Metro Manila
Metropolitan Manila (often shortened as Metro Manila; fil, Kalakhang Maynila), officially the National Capital Region (NCR; fil, link=no, Pambansang Punong Rehiyon), is the capital region, seat of government and one of three List of metrop ...
, the national capital. Heavy rains caused by the typhoon overflowed rivers, causing severe flooding in
Marikina
Marikina (), officially the City of Marikina ( fil, Lungsod ng Marikina), is a 1st class highly urbanized city in the National Capital Region of the Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 456,159 people.
It is loca ...
. As the typhoon crossed the country, dams from all around
Luzon
Luzon (; ) is the largest and most populous island in the Philippines. Located in the northern portion of the Philippines archipelago, it is the economic and political center of the nation, being home to the country's capital city, Manila, as ...
neared their spilling points, forcing the dams to release large amounts of water into their impounds. As the
Magat Dam
Magat Dam is a large rock-fill dam in the island of Luzon in the Philippines. The dam is located along the Magat River, a major tributary of Cagayan River. The construction of the dam started in 1975 and was completed in 1982. It is one of the l ...
approached its spilling point, all seven of its gates were opened to prevent
dam failure
A dam failure or dam burst is a catastrophic type of structural failure characterized by the sudden, rapid, and uncontrolled release of impounded water or the likelihood of such an uncontrolled release. Between the years 2000 and 2009 more than ...
, which overflowed the
Cagayan River
The Cagayan River, also known as the Río Grande de Cagayán, is the longest river and the largest river by discharge volume of water in the Philippines. It has a total length of approximately and a drainage basin covering . It is located in t ...
and caused widespread floods in
Cagayan
Cagayan ( ), officially the Province of Cagayan ( ilo, Probinsia ti Cagayan; ibg, Provinsiya na Cagayan; itv, Provinsiya ya Cagayan; fil, Lalawigan ng Cagayan), is a Provinces of the Philippines, province in the Philippines located in the C ...
and
Isabela. After entering the South China Sea, Vamco further intensified until it reached its brief peak as a Category 4-equivalent typhoon. On November 15, Vamco made landfall in Vietnam as a Category 1-equivalent typhoon before dissipating shortly after.
Days after the typhoon had passed the Philippines, rescue operations in the
Cagayan Valley
Cagayan Valley ( ilo, Tanap ti Cagayan; fil, Lambak ng Cagayan), is an administrative region in the Philippines, located in the northeastern section of Luzon Island. It is composed of five Philippine provinces: Batanes, Cagayan, Isabela, Nue ...
were still ongoing due to the unexpected extent of the flooding. In response to the typhoon's effects, the entire landmass of
Luzon
Luzon (; ) is the largest and most populous island in the Philippines. Located in the northern portion of the Philippines archipelago, it is the economic and political center of the nation, being home to the country's capital city, Manila, as ...
was placed under a state of calamity. As of December 2, the Philippines'
National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council
The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC), formerly known as the National Disaster Coordinating Council (NDCC), is a working group of various government, non-government, civil sector and private sector organizations o ...
had stated that the typhoon had 112 casualties (including 102 validated deaths, and another 10 missing), and the damages caused by Vamco reached
₱20.2 billion (
US$
The United States dollar (symbol: $; code: USD; also abbreviated US$ or U.S. Dollar, to distinguish it from other dollar-denominated currencies; referred to as the dollar, U.S. dollar, American dollar, or colloquially buck) is the official ...
1.06 billion).
Meteorological history
On November 8, the
Japan Meteorological Agency
The , abbreviated JMA, is an agency of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism. It is charged with gathering and providing results for the public in Japan that are obtained from data based on daily scientific observation an ...
(JMA) began tracking a new tropical depression north-northwest of
Palau
Palau,, officially the Republic of Palau and historically ''Belau'', ''Palaos'' or ''Pelew'', is an island country and microstate in the western Pacific. The nation has approximately 340 islands and connects the western chain of the Caro ...
. At 12:00 UTC on the same day, the
(PAGASA) declared the system as a tropical depression inside of the
Philippine Area of Responsibility
The Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR) is an area in the Northwestern Pacific where PAGASA, the Philippines' national meteorological agency, monitors weather occurrences. Significant weather disturbances, specifically tropical cyclones tha ...
(PAR), prompting the agency to identify it as ''Ulysses''.
The next day at 7:15 UTC, the system strengthened into a tropical storm, prompting JMA to identify the system as ''Vamco'', with the
Joint Typhoon Warning Center
The Joint typhoon Warning Center (JTWC) is a joint United States Navy – United States Air Force command in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. The JTWC is responsible for the issuing of tropical cyclone warnings in the North-West Pacific Ocean, South P ...
later issuing their first warning on the system as a tropical depression.
As the system tracked closer to southern
Luzon
Luzon (; ) is the largest and most populous island in the Philippines. Located in the northern portion of the Philippines archipelago, it is the economic and political center of the nation, being home to the country's capital city, Manila, as ...
, both the PAGASA and the JMA upgraded Vamco into a severe tropical storm. Vamco was then upgraded to typhoon status by the JMA on November 11, followed by the JTWC and the PAGASA shortly after.
At 22:30
PHT (14:30 UTC) on November 11, Vamco made its first landfall on the island town of
Patnanungan
Patnanungan, officially the Municipality of Patnanungan ( tgl, Bayan ng Patnanungan), is a 5th class municipality in the province of Quezon, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 15,052 people.
A shoe-shaped island m ...
,
Quezon
Quezon, officially the Province of Quezon ( tl, Lalawigan ng Quezon), is a Provinces of the Philippines, province in the Philippines located in the Calabarzon Regions of the Philippines, region on Luzon. Kalilayan was the first known name of th ...
. Then, surrounded by favorable conditions for an intensification, Vamco continued to gain strength and reached its initial peak of intensity, with 10-min sustained winds at , 1-minute sustained winds of and pressure of 970 mbar, supporting Vamco as a Category 3-equivalent typhoon. At 23:20 PHT (15:20 UTC) and at 1:40 PHT of the following day (17:40 UTC), Vamco made its next two Quezon landfalls over
Burdeos
Burdeos, officially the Municipality of Burdeos ( tl, Bayan ng Burdeos), is a 4th class municipality in the province of Quezon, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 24,644 people.
Burdeos was created in 1948 from t ...
(in
Polillo Island
Polillo () is an island in the northeastern region of the Philippine archipelago. It is the largest island and the namesake of the Polillo Islands. It is separated from Luzon Island by the Polillo Strait and forms the northern side of Lamon Bay ...
) and
General Nakar
General Nakar, officially the Municipality of General Nakar ( tgl, Bayan ng Heneral Nakar, Ilocano: ''Ili ti Heneral Nakar''), is a 1st class municipality in the province of Quezon, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population ...
(in the
Luzon
Luzon (; ) is the largest and most populous island in the Philippines. Located in the northern portion of the Philippines archipelago, it is the economic and political center of the nation, being home to the country's capital city, Manila, as ...
landmass), respectively. Later, Vamco dropped below typhoon intensity inland. At 00:00 UTC, Vamco emerged over the
South China Sea
The South China Sea is a marginal sea of the Western Pacific Ocean. It is bounded in the north by the shores of South China (hence the name), in the west by the Indochinese Peninsula, in the east by the islands of Taiwan and northwestern Phil ...
. The system left the PAR at 01:30 UTC as the PAGASA redeclared the system as a typhoon. Vamco gradually intensified in the South China Sea, before
rapidly intensifying into its peak as a Category 4-equivalent typhoon on November 13. The typhoon then weakened before making its last landfall in Vietnam as a Category 1-equivalent typhoon on November 15. Shortly after, the typhoon weakened further into a tropical storm until it dissipated north of
Laos
Laos (, ''Lāo'' )), officially the Lao People's Democratic Republic ( Lao: ສາທາລະນະລັດ ປະຊາທິປະໄຕ ປະຊາຊົນລາວ, French: République démocratique populaire lao), is a socialist ...
.
Preparations
Philippines
![Vamco 2020-11-11 0510Z](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/bf/Vamco_2020-11-11_0510Z.jpg)
As Vamco initially formed inside of the Philippine Area of Responsibility, the
PAGASA
Pagasa may refer to:
* ''Pagasa'' (genus), an insect genus in the family Nabidae
* PAGASA, an acronym for the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration
*"May Pagasa", a pen-name of José Rizal
José Prot ...
immediately began issuing severe weather bulletins in preparation for the typhoon. The Philippines had recently been hit with three other tropical cyclones
Typhoon Molave
Typhoon Molave, known in the Philippines as Typhoon Quinta, was a strong tropical cyclone that caused widespread damage in the Philippines and Indochina in late October 2020, and became the strongest to strike the South Central Coast of Vietnam ...
(Quinta),
Typhoon Goni
Typhoon Goni, known in the Philippines as Super Typhoon Rolly, was an extremely powerful tropical cyclone that made landfall as a Category 5 equivalent super typhoon on Catanduanes in the Philippines, and in Vietnam as a tropical storm. It was ...
(Rolly), and
Tropical Storm Etau (Tonyo) making this the fourth tropical cyclone to approach
Luzon
Luzon (; ) is the largest and most populous island in the Philippines. Located in the northern portion of the Philippines archipelago, it is the economic and political center of the nation, being home to the country's capital city, Manila, as ...
in the past month. After Goni damaged the PAGASA's Doppler weather radar station in
Catanduanes
Catanduanes (; ), officially the Province of Catanduanes, is an island province located in the Bicol Region of Luzon in the Philippines. It is the 12th-largest island in the Philippines, and lies to the east of Camarines Sur, across Maqueda ...
, one of the only three stations in the country, typhoon tracking was done manually. The PAGASA first raised
tropical cyclone wind signals
The Tropical Cyclone Wind Signals (TCWS, or simply ''wind signals'' or ''signals''; Filipino: ''Mga Babala ng Bagyo'') are tropical cyclone alert levels issued by the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration ...
as early as November 9. By 23:00 UTC on November 10, the PAGASA had raised a Signal #2 wind signal for 17 provinces, parts of 6 provinces, 2 islands, and the national capital region,
Metro Manila
Metropolitan Manila (often shortened as Metro Manila; fil, Kalakhang Maynila), officially the National Capital Region (NCR; fil, link=no, Pambansang Punong Rehiyon), is the capital region, seat of government and one of three List of metrop ...
. The
National Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council (NDRRMC), also began sending out
emergency alerts to mobile phone users about possible storm surges. The NDRRMC later used this same system to alert citizens in areas under Signal #3.
Residents in the Pollilo Islands and in Central Luzon were forced to evacuate a day before the storm's landfall. 14,000 residents were also to be evacuated in Camarines Norte.
Bicol Region
Bicol, known formally as the Bicol Region or colloquially as Bicolandia ( bcl, Rehiyon kan Bikol; Rinconada Bikol: ''Rehiyon ka Bikol''; Waray Sorsogon, Masbateño: ''Rehiyon san Bikol''; tl, Rehiyon ng Bikol), is an administrative region of ...
, one of the regions worst hit by Goni last month, evacuated 12,812 individuals ahead of the incoming storm. Over 2,071 passengers were stranded in ports in multiple regions of Luzon as sea conditions worsened.
Philippine Airlines
Philippine Airlines (PAL), a trade name of PAL Holdings, Inc. ( PSEPAL (Philippine Air Lines until 1970), is the flag carrier airline of the Philippines. Headquartered at the PNB Financial Center in Pasay, the airline was founded in 1941 and i ...
suspended flights due to the inclement weather brought by Vamco. The
Office of the President of the Philippines
The Office of the President of the Philippines (OP; fil, links=no, Tanggapan ng Pangulo ng Pilipinas), is an administrative, advisory, and consultative government agency that aids the president of the Philippines in performing their duty as he ...
suspended work in government offices and
online classes in public schools in 7 regions, including the
National Capital Region
A capital region, also called a capital district or capital territory, is a region or district surrounding a capital city. It is not always the official term for the region, but may sometimes be used as an informal synonym. Capital regions can exis ...
. 12 hours before the typhoon's landfall, the PAGASA raised Signal #3 warnings for areas to be hit by the typhoon on landfall including Metro Manila and the entirety of
Central Luzon
Central Luzon ( pam, (Reyun ning) Kalibudtarang Luzon, pag, (Rehiyon na) Pegley na Luzon, tgl, (Rehiyon ng) Gitnang Luzon, ilo, (Rehion/Deppaar ti) Tengnga ti Luzon), designated as Region III, is an administrative region in the Philippines, ...
.
The
Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology
The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS, ; tl, Surian ng Pilipinas sa Bulkanolohiya at Sismolohiya) is a Philippine national institution dedicated to provide information on the activities of volcanoes, earthquakes, and ...
then issued lahar warnings for the
Mayon Volcano
Mayon ( bcl, Bulkan Mayon; tl, Bulkang Mayon, ), also known as Mount Mayon and Mayon Volcano ( es, Monte Mayón, Volcán Mayón), is an active stratovolcano in the province of Albay in Bicol, Philippines. A popular tourist spot, it is renown ...
, the
Taal Volcano, and
Mount Pinatubo
Mount Pinatubo is an active stratovolcano in the Zambales Mountains, located on the tripoint boundary of the Philippine provinces of Zambales, Tarlac and Pampanga, all in Central Luzon on the northern island of Luzon. Its eruptive history w ...
hours prior to the typhoon's landfall. Prior to the typhoon's landfall, at least 231,312 individuals were evacuated by local government units.
Vamco struck while the Philippines was in the middle of the
COVID-19 pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identif ...
, and various sections of the country were under different
community quarantines.
Vietnam
On November 14, at least 460,000 people were ordered to evacuate from the coastal areas by the government. On the morning of that same day, all flights in five airports, including
Da Nang
Nang or DanangSee also Danang Dragons ( ; vi, Đà Nẵng, ) is a class-1 municipality and the fifth-largest city in Vietnam by municipal population. It lies on the coast of the East Sea of Vietnam at the mouth of the Hàn River, and is one ...
,
Chu Lai
Chu Lai is a seaport, urban and industrial area in Núi Thành District, Quảng Nam Province, Vietnam. The city is served by Chu Lai International Airport. It is also the site of the Chu Lai Open Economic Zone (Vietnamese: ''Với Khu Kinh T ...
,
Phu Bai,
Dong Hoi and
Vinh
Vinh () is the biggest city and economic and cultural center of north-central Vietnam. Vinh is the capital of Nghệ An Province, and is a key point in the East–West economic corridor linking Myanmar, Thailand, Laos and Vietnam. The city is ...
were ordered to be suspended or delayed.
Impact
Vamco impacted the Philippines and Vietnam just a few days after the strike of
Typhoon Goni
Typhoon Goni, known in the Philippines as Super Typhoon Rolly, was an extremely powerful tropical cyclone that made landfall as a Category 5 equivalent super typhoon on Catanduanes in the Philippines, and in Vietnam as a tropical storm. It was ...
. Both countries were still attempting to recover from Goni's initial impact, but Vamco went on to quickly exceed Goni's record as the sixth-costliest Philippine typhoon on record; in total both typhoons caused
₱37.2 billion (US$770 million) in damage in the Philippines alone.
Philippines
Even before the typhoon's landfall, Catanduanes had already experienced heavy rains, causing
flood
A flood is an overflow of water ( or rarely other fluids) that submerges land that is usually dry. In the sense of "flowing water", the word may also be applied to the inflow of the tide. Floods are an area of study of the discipline hydrol ...
s and rockslides in the province. Flood waters were reported to reach the roofs of some houses in
Bagamanoc.
Several areas in Luzon, including Metro Manila, reported that they experienced
power outage
A power outage (also called a powercut, a power out, a power failure, a power blackout, a power loss, or a blackout) is the loss of the electrical power network supply to an end user.
There are many causes of power failures in an electricit ...
s prior to the typhoon making landfall. The
Philippine Stock Exchange
The Philippine Stock Exchange, Inc. ( fil, Pamilihang Sapi ng Pilipinas; ) is the national stock exchange of the Philippines. The exchange was created in 1992 from the merger of the Manila Stock Exchange and the Makati Stock Exchange. Includin ...
was closed on November 12 due to the typhoon.
Emergency hotlines in some locations became unavailable because most emergency numbers provided by national agencies and local governments were landline phone numbers, which were difficult to call from mobile phones, and became totally inaccessible once telephone lines in the localities were brought down by the storm. The PAGASA's own phone lines went down due to technical problems on the morning of November 12, going back up a few hours later. Broadcast news coverage had been significantly reduced compared to typhoons in previous years as a result of the
shutdown of the ABS-CBN broadcast network, which had local news bureaus and strong signal reach in provinces far from Manila. The shutdown caused an information gap among areas which could only receive the network's signals.
Social media filled in some of the information gap, with some residents and even local governments treating it as a ''de facto'' emergency hotline.
In the early hours of November 12, local government officials began reporting that their local rescue capabilities were already overwhelmed, and that they needed help from the national government in the form of airlift support and help from the
Philippine Coast Guard
The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) ( fil, Tanod Baybayin ng Pilipinas) is recognized as the third armed uniformed service of the country attached to the Philippines' Department of Transportation, tasked primarily with enforcing laws within Ph ...
. After attending an online
ASEAN
ASEAN ( , ), officially the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, is a political and economic union of 10 member states in Southeast Asia, which promotes intergovernmental cooperation and facilitates economic, political, security, militar ...
summit that morning, Philippine President
Rodrigo Duterte
Rodrigo Roa Duterte (, ; born March 28, 1945), also known as Digong, Rody, and by the initials DU30 and PRRD, is a Filipino lawyer and politician who served as the 16th president of the Philippines from 2016 to 2022. He is the chairperson ...
addressed the nation via a pre-taped broadcast on
state-owned
State ownership, also called government ownership and public ownership, is the ownership of an industry, asset, or enterprise by the state or a public body representing a community, as opposed to an individual or private party. Public ownersh ...
television network
People's Television Network
People's Television Network ( fil, Telebisyon ng Bayan; abbreviated PTV) is the flagship State broadcasting, state broadcaster owned by the Government of the Philippines. Founded in 1974, PTV is the main brand of People's Television Network, In ...
(PTV), saying that he wanted to visit the storm-hit constituencies, but that he was constrained by his security personnel and doctor from doing so because of the risk to his safety and health. Actor
Jericho Rosales
Jericho Vibar Rosales (; born September 21, 1979), also known as Echo, is a Filipino actor. He is currently a freelance actor.
Primarily a film and television actor, he is known by his stage name "Echo" cousin of Jefferson C. Rosales. He beg ...
and digital creative
Kim Jones resorted to using their surfboards to rescue stranded citizens in
Marikina
Marikina (), officially the City of Marikina ( fil, Lungsod ng Marikina), is a 1st class highly urbanized city in the National Capital Region of the Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 456,159 people.
It is loca ...
. 52 national roads in 7 regions were damaged due to the typhoon's effects.
As of January 13, 2021, the
NDRRMC
The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC), formerly known as the National Disaster Coordinating Council (NDCC), is a working group of various government, non-government, civil sector and private sector organizations o ...
reported 98 deaths and 19 missing caused by Vamco. Economic loss in infrastructure were at () while damage to agriculture reached (). Total damage across the country stood at ().
The
Cagayan Valley
Cagayan Valley ( ilo, Tanap ti Cagayan; fil, Lambak ng Cagayan), is an administrative region in the Philippines, located in the northeastern section of Luzon Island. It is composed of five Philippine provinces: Batanes, Cagayan, Isabela, Nue ...
experienced the highest total amount of damage. At least 5,184,824 individuals were affected by the typhoon's onslaught.
The
Armed Forces of the Philippines
The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) ( fil, Sandatahang Lakas ng Pilipinas) are the military forces of the Philippines. It consists of three main service branches; the Army, the Air Force, and the Navy (including the Marine Corps). The P ...
and
Philippine National Police
The Philippine National Police ( fil, Pambansang Pulisya ng Pilipinas, acronymed as PNP) is the armed national police force in the Philippines. Its national headquarters is located at Camp Crame in Bagong Lipunan ng Crame, Quezon City. Current ...
reportedly rescued 265,339 and 104,850 individuals, respectively. Contrary to the NDRRMC's report, Marikina officials report an unofficial damage of ₱40 billion (US$824 million).
River floods
The
Marikina River
The Marikina River ( tl, Ilog Marikina) is a river in eastern Metro Manila, Philippines. It is the largest tributary of the Pasig River, with headwaters located in the Sierra Madre Mountains in Rodriguez, Rizal province.
The Marikina River u ...
surpassed the water levels reached by Typhoon Ketsana in 2009, which brought massive rainfall and caused severe flooding. By 11:00 PHT on November 12, the river's water level had risen to , submerging most parts of the city in flood waters, according to the
Marikina
Marikina (), officially the City of Marikina ( fil, Lungsod ng Marikina), is a 1st class highly urbanized city in the National Capital Region of the Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 456,159 people.
It is loca ...
Public Information Office. Marikina Mayor
Marcelino Teodoro
Marcelino "Marcy" Reyes Teodoro (born August 2, 1970), is a Filipino politician who is the 12th and incumbent Mayor of Marikina. Prior to his election as mayor, Teodoro served as the representative for Marikina's 1st congressional district fro ...
declared the city under a state of calamity due the massive floods brought by the typhoon. Government scientists and advocacy sector conservationists warned that the flooding on the Marikina River was a consequence of the severe deforestation of the
Upper Marikina River Watershed in Rizal province, where illegal logging, illegal quarrying, and landgrabbing continued to be a problem.
In
Pampanga
Pampanga, officially the Province of Pampanga ( pam, Lalawigan ning Pampanga; tl, Lalawigan ng Pampanga ), is a province in the Central Luzon region of the Philippines. Lying on the northern shore of Manila Bay, Pampanga is bordered by Tarlac ...
, 86 villages experienced flooding due to the swelling of the
Pampanga River
The Pampanga River is the second largest river on the island of Luzon in the Philippines (next to Cagayan River) and the country's fifth longest river. It is in the Central Luzon region and traverses the provinces of Pampanga, Bulacan, and Nueva ...
.
Dam overflow
Dams in the affected areas, including
La Mesa Dam
The La Mesa Dam and Reservoir is an earth dam in Quezon City, Philippines. Its reservoir can hold up to , occupying an area of . It is part of the Angat- Ipo-La Mesa water system, which supplies most of the water supply of Metro Manila.
Histor ...
,
Angat Dam
Angat Dam () is a concrete water reservoir embankment hydroelectric dam that supplies Metro Manila and nearby provinces with water. It was a part of the Angat- Ipo- La Mesa water system. The reservoir supplies about 90 percent of raw water requ ...
,
Binga Dam
Binga Dam is a dam in Agno River connected to a hydroelectric power plant situated at Barrio Binga, Barangay Tinongdan in the municipality of Itogon in Benguet province of the Philippines.
The dam was constructed in August 1956 and opened in Ma ...
,
Magat Dam
Magat Dam is a large rock-fill dam in the island of Luzon in the Philippines. The dam is located along the Magat River, a major tributary of Cagayan River. The construction of the dam started in 1975 and was completed in 1982. It is one of the l ...
,
Ipo Dam
Ipo Dam is a concrete water reservoir gravity dam found in the Philippines. The dam is located about 7.5 kilometres downstream of the Angat Dam within the Angat Watershed Forest Reserve in Norzagaray, Bulacan province. It was a part of the Anga ...
, and
Caliraya Dam
Caliraya Dam is an embankment dam located in the town of Lumban province of Laguna, in the Sierra Madre Mountain Range of the Philippines. The reservoir created by the dam, Lake Caliraya, initially supplied one of the oldest hydroelectric pl ...
, reached their maximum levels on November 12, forcing them to begin releasing water.
By November 13, a water level of , 0.3 meters below the dam's spilling point, forced the Magat Dam to continue releasing water. All seven gates of the dam were opened at 24 meters as the dam released over of water into the
Cagayan River
The Cagayan River, also known as the Río Grande de Cagayán, is the longest river and the largest river by discharge volume of water in the Philippines. It has a total length of approximately and a drainage basin covering . It is located in t ...
as numerous riverside towns experienced massive flooding. Local governments continuously conducted rescue operations in their areas but had run out of equipment and manpower to rescue. Because there was very little media coverage of the flooding in the area, residents resorted to social media to request the national government for rescue. Waters under the
Buntun Bridge
Buntun Bridge ( itv, Talletay ta Buntun; ilo, Rangtáy ti Buntun; fil, Tulay ng Buntun) is a river bridge that stretches from Tuguegarao City to Solana in Cagayan and spans the Cagayan River, the largest river basin in the Philippines. It form ...
went up as high as 13 meters, flooding the nearby
barangay
A barangay (; abbreviated as Brgy. or Bgy.), historically referred to as barrio (abbreviated as Bo.), is the smallest administrative division in the Philippines and is the native Filipino term for a village, district, or ward. In metropolitan ...
s up to the roofs of houses. Rescue efforts continued into the early hours of November 14, but low visibility made aerial rescue efforts impossible until daylight. Cagayan and Isabela have since declared a state of calamity.
Following the severe flooding in the
Cagayan Valley
Cagayan Valley ( ilo, Tanap ti Cagayan; fil, Lambak ng Cagayan), is an administrative region in the Philippines, located in the northeastern section of Luzon Island. It is composed of five Philippine provinces: Batanes, Cagayan, Isabela, Nue ...
, experts called the valley the most flood-prone area in the country. The flood was caused by rain dumped by Typhoon Ulysses. The
National Irrigation Administration
The National Irrigation Administration (NIA) ( fil, Pambansang Pangasiwaan ng Patubig) is a Philippine government-owned and controlled corporation primarily responsible for irrigation development and management in the country.
History
NIA was ...
was criticized for releasing water from the
Magat Dam
Magat Dam is a large rock-fill dam in the island of Luzon in the Philippines. The dam is located along the Magat River, a major tributary of Cagayan River. The construction of the dam started in 1975 and was completed in 1982. It is one of the l ...
, which allegedly made the situation worse.
Vietnam
Vamco began affecting Central Vietnam around midnight
ICT on November 15. Although the storm was weaker already, a weather station on
Lý Sơn island still reported hourly sustained winds of and gusts of up to .
Strong winds downed many trees and damaged numerous homes in the four provinces from
Hà Tĩnh to
Thừa Thiên Huế.
In
Thuận An
Thuận An is a city of Bình Dương Province in the Southeast region of Vietnam. It is situated about northeast of the centre of Ho Chi Minh City. As of November 3, 2021 the city had a population of 618,984.
The town covers an area of 83.7 k ...
, Thừa Thiên Huế, strong waves lashed docked fishing ships and civilian houses.
In the city of
Da Nang
Nang or DanangSee also Danang Dragons ( ; vi, Đà Nẵng, ) is a class-1 municipality and the fifth-largest city in Vietnam by municipal population. It lies on the coast of the East Sea of Vietnam at the mouth of the Hàn River, and is one ...
, the storm surge destroyed many sea embankments, while washing rocks and debris onshore and into the streets.
Power outages affected 411,252 people in six central provinces. A person was killed in
Thừa Thiên-Huế Province, and economic loss in
Quảng Bình Province reached 450 billion
đồng (US$19.4 million).
Aftermath
Philippines
![Flooding in Northern Luzon](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/72/Flooding_in_Northern_Luzon.jpg)
Even after the typhoon had passed, widespread flooding from the typhoon's rains and from nearly overflowed dams wreaked havoc on the country days after its landfall. Despite causing heavy floods, according to the PAGASA, Vamco released less rain that
Typhoon Ketsana
Typhoon Ketsana, known in the Philippines as Tropical Storm Ondoy, was the second-most devastating tropical cyclone of the 2009 Pacific typhoon season, causing $1.15 billion in damages and 921 fatalities, only behind Morakot earlier in the se ...
, another typhoon in 2009 which caused similar floods. In response to the typhoon's effects, the entire landmass of
Luzon
Luzon (; ) is the largest and most populous island in the Philippines. Located in the northern portion of the Philippines archipelago, it is the economic and political center of the nation, being home to the country's capital city, Manila, as ...
was placed under a state of calamity.
Public reactions to government response
Tuguegarao Mayor Jefferson Soriano drew criticism after a photo on social media showed him celebrating his birthday in
Batangas
Batangas, officially the Province of Batangas ( tl, Lalawigan ng Batangas ), is a province in the Philippines located in the Calabarzon region on Luzon. Its capital is the city of Batangas, and is bordered by the provinces of Cavite and La ...
while Tuguegarao was inundated by floods. Soriano regretted the trip, and stated that he underestimated the effects of the typhoon as no storm signals have were raised when he left for Batangas. Soriano attempted to return to Tuguegarao on November 12, a day after the typhoon's first landfall, however the
North Luzon Expressway
The North Luzon Expressway (NLEX), signed as E1 of the Philippine expressway network, partially as N160 of the Philippine highway network, and R-8 of the Metro Manila arterial road network, is a limited-access toll expressway that connects M ...
had already been blocked due to the typhoon.
He has been ordered to explain his absence to the
Department of the Interior and Local Government
The Department of the Interior and Local Government ( fil, Kagawaran ng Interyor at Pamahalaang Lokal), abbreviated as DILG, is the executive department of the Philippine government responsible for promoting peace and order, ensuring public saf ...
, according to the department spokesman.
Online discussion sparked regarding the
Congress of the Philippines
The Congress of the Philippines ( fil, Kongreso ng Pilipinas, italic=unset) is the legislature of the national government of the Philippines. It is bicameral, composed of a lower body, the House of Representatives of the Philippines, House of R ...
' budget cuts of () to the
NDRRMC
The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC), formerly known as the National Disaster Coordinating Council (NDCC), is a working group of various government, non-government, civil sector and private sector organizations o ...
during deliberations on the 2020 national budget, along with the closure of
Project NOAH
Project Noah is an online community dedicated to explore and document wildlife across the globe. "Noah" is an acronym for "networked organisms and habitats".
This community formerly had an iPhone app in iTunes and an Android app in Google Play ...
, a disaster prevention and mitigation tool, in 2017 by the
Department of Science and Technology, citing the lack of funds.
Vice President
A vice president, also director in British English, is an officer in government or business who is below the president (chief executive officer) in rank. It can also refer to executive vice presidents, signifying that the vice president is on t ...
Leni Robredo
Maria Leonor "Leni" Gerona Robredo (; born Maria Leonor Santo Tomas Gerona; April 23, 1965) is a Filipino lawyer and politician who served as the 14th vice president of the Philippines from 2016 to 2022.
She was the wife of the late Jesse ...
called for investigations after suspected oversights in disaster preparedness. Robredo stated that estimates on the possibility of flooding should be provided when a dam's gates are opened for public awareness.
The
House of Representatives of the Philippines
The House of Representatives of the Philippines ( fil, Kapulungan ng mga Kinatawan ng Pilipinas, italic=unset, ''Kamara'' or ''Kamara de Representantes'' from the Spanish language, Spanish word ''cámara'', meaning "chamber") is the lower house ...
has since filed for a probe into the circumstances which led to the severe flooding in Cagayan and Isabela.
Citizens on social media demanded accountability from the government, along with
President
President most commonly refers to:
*President (corporate title)
*President (education), a leader of a college or university
*President (government title)
President may also refer to:
Automobiles
* Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese ful ...
Rodrigo Duterte
Rodrigo Roa Duterte (, ; born March 28, 1945), also known as Digong, Rody, and by the initials DU30 and PRRD, is a Filipino lawyer and politician who served as the 16th president of the Philippines from 2016 to 2022. He is the chairperson ...
, who had not made any appearance to the public during the typhoon's onslaught. Presidential Spokesperson
Harry Roque
Herminio "Harry" Lopez Roque Jr. (; born October 21, 1966) is a Filipino lawyer, politician, and former law professor. He served as the presidential spokesperson of President Rodrigo Duterte from 2017 to 2018 and from 2020 to 2021. He was the p ...
later defended the president's whereabouts, citing that the president "is always on top of things." Roque denied shortcomings in preparation, however admitted that authorities "did not expect the gravity of the amount of water that descended on the lowlands." Roque also blamed multiple factors for the flooding, including
climate change
In common usage, climate change describes global warming—the ongoing increase in global average temperature—and its effects on Earth's climate system. Climate change in a broader sense also includes previous long-term changes to E ...
,
deforestation
Deforestation or forest clearance is the removal of a forest or stand of trees from land that is then converted to non-forest use. Deforestation can involve conversion of forest land to farms, ranches, or urban use. The most concentrated d ...
, and
illegal mining
Illegal mining is mining activity that is undertaken without state permission, in particular in absence of land rights, mining licenses, and exploration or mineral transportation permits.
Illegal mining can be a subsistence activity, as is the cas ...
. Duterte also defended local government units in their disaster response measures.
As a result of the
shutdown of the ABS-CBN broadcast network, an information gap was formed among remote areas which could only receive the network's signals. This was raised by citizens on social media, and by Robredo as well.
Roque has since denied the existence of this gap.
In a televised briefing for the typhoon, Duterte made sex jokes on-air with other government executives, to the dismay of the public.
Gabriela Women's Party
The Gabriela Women's Party (General Assembly Binding Women for Integrity, Reform, Equality, Leadership and Action) or simply GABRIELA, is a progressive Filipino political party that advocates for women's issues and represents Filipino women in the ...
representative
Arlene Brosas
Arlene D. Brosas (born October 30, 1976) is a Filipina educator, child rights activist, and politician. She is a member of the Philippine House of Representatives for the 19th Congress and was part of the 18th Congress under the Gabriela Women ...
criticized Duterte's audacity to make "inappropriate jokes when people literally drowned and died due to the series of calamities," and that the citizens needed an "effective leadership and a concrete plan." Roque defended Duterte's comments, saying that he was trying to "lighten the mood" after witnessing multiple consecutive tragedies and that the jokes were Duterte's way of coping with disasters.
Effects on education
Due to the
COVID-19 pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identif ...
, the
Department of Education
An education ministry is a national or subnational government agency politically responsible for education. Various other names are commonly used to identify such agencies, such as Ministry of Education, Department of Education, and Ministry of Pub ...
(DepEd) required that classes be conducted through "modular learning", which involved the use of both online resources and printed self-learning materials dubbed "modules" for classes in public schools. While citizens evacuated from flooded areas, some students reported losing their modules due to the flood waters. DepEd Secretary
Leonor Briones
Leonor "Liling" Mirasol Magtolis-Briones (; born October 16, 1940) is a Filipina academician, economist, and civil servant who served as Secretary of Education under the Duterte administration. She is also professor emeritus of public administ ...
was heavily criticized for saying that schools should solve the problem of damaged modules on their own by drying the modules with the sun or a flat iron. The DepEd later stated that they will replace the damaged modules through additional funds provided by its central office.
In the aftermath of the typhoon, beginning November 15, some universities in the Philippines, including the
Ateneo de Manila University
, mottoeng = Light in the Lord
, type = Private, research, non-profit, coeducational basic and higher education institution
, established = December 10, 1859
, religious_affiliation = Roman Catholic (Jesuits)
, academic_aff ...
,
De La Salle University
De La Salle University ( fil, Pamantasang De La Salle or Unibersidad ng De La Salle), also referred to as DLSU, De La Salle or La Salle, is a private university, private, Catholic Church, Catholic coeducational research university run by the I ...
,
Polytechnic University of the Philippines
, mottoeng = ''Light of the Nation''
, type = Public coeducational research higher education institution
, established = October 19, 1904
, closed =
, religious_affiliation = ...
, and
University of Santo Tomas
The University of Santo Tomas (also known as UST and officially as the Pontifical and Royal University of Santo Tomas, Manila) is a private, Catholic research university in Manila, Philippines. Founded on April 28, 1611, by Spanish friar Miguel ...
, eased the academic workload for their students. Synchronous sessions through online videoconferencing were temporarily suspended, and deadlines for requirements were moved to succeeding weeks.
The
Pasig
Pasig, officially the City of Pasig ( fil, Lungsod ng Pasig), is a 1st class highly urbanized city in the National Capital Region of the Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 803,159 people.
It is located along the ...
government suspended classes from preschool to senior high school in both public and private schools for November 16 and 17.
Quezon City
Quezon City (, ; fil, Lungsod Quezon ), also known as the City of Quezon and Q.C. (read in Filipino as Kyusi), is the List of cities in the Philippines, most populous city in the Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a populatio ...
officials also declared the suspension of online classes from kinder to senior high school on the same days. Marikina, after experiencing massive floods across the entire city, suspended classes in all levels until December 16.
Retirement
During the season, the PAGASA announced that ''Ulysses'' had
withdrawn from their naming lists, as damage to infrastructure and agriculture exceeded
₱1 billion, and more than 101 people died. In January 2021, PAGASA picked ''Upang'' to supersede ''Ulysses'' for the 2024 season.
After the season, the Typhoon Committee announced that the name ''Vamco'' would be removed from the naming lists. In 2022, ''Bang-Lang'' was selected as the replacement for ''Vamco''.
See also
*
Other tropical cyclones named Vamco
*
Other tropical cyclones named Ulysses
*
Weather of 2020
The following is a list of weather events that occurred on Earth in the year 2020.
Global conditions
As 2020 began, sea surface temperatures were above normal in the eastern Pacific Ocean near the equator, which had the potential to develop ...
*
Tropical cyclones in 2020
During 2020, tropical cyclones formed within seven different tropical cyclone basins, located within various parts of the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. During the year, 141 tropical cyclones formed in bodies of water known as tropica ...
*
Typhoon Patsy (1970) – Notable late-season typhoon that took a similar track in November 1970
*
Typhoon Xangsane
Typhoon Xangsane, known in the Philippines as Typhoon Milenyo, was a typhoon that affected the Philippines, Vietnam, and Thailand during the 2006 Pacific typhoon season. The name Xangsane was submitted by Laos and means elephant.
Xangsane made l ...
(2006) – Devastated Metro Manila and also had a similar wind strength to Vamco
*
Typhoon Ketsana
Typhoon Ketsana, known in the Philippines as Tropical Storm Ondoy, was the second-most devastating tropical cyclone of the 2009 Pacific typhoon season, causing $1.15 billion in damages and 921 fatalities, only behind Morakot earlier in the se ...
(2009)
*
Typhoon Conson (2010)
Typhoon Conson, known in the Philippines as Typhoon Basyang, was the second tropical cyclone during the 2010 Pacific typhoon season to impact the Philippines. Developing out of a tropical disturbance east of the Philippines on July 11, 2010 ...
– A deadly Category 1 typhoon that took a similar track
*
Typhoon Nari (2013) – A powerful typhoon which struck Central Luzon area and also had a similar destructive wind strength
*
Tropical Storm Fung-wong (2014) – Similar situation to Ketsana and Vamco
*
Typhoon Kammuri
Typhoon Kammuri, known in the Philippines as Typhoon Tisoy, was a powerful typhoon which impacted the Philippines in early December 2019.
The twenty-eighth named storm and sixteenth typhoon of the 2019 Pacific typhoon season, Kammuri developed ...
(2019) – impacted the Philippines at a similar time of year and caused widespread damage
References
External links
25W.VAMCOfrom the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory
{{DEFAULTSORT:Vamco
2020 Pacific typhoon season
2020 disasters in the Philippines
2020 in Vietnam
Duterte administration controversies
November 2020 events in Asia
Retired Philippine typhoon names
Tropical cyclones in 2020
Typhoons in the Philippines