The Aftermath of Typhoon Odette

By John Bene P. Mondejar

A severe storm devastated the Philippines just when the holidays were looking bright for the
Filipinos due to fewer coronavirus cases, leaving thousands in desperate need of help. Typhoon
Odette made landfall at least nine times between December 16 and 17, forcing forced evacuations
and wreaking havoc in areas of the Philippines' island groups.
According to the most recent estimates, the passage of Odette affected 11 of the Philippines'
17 regions. It was the strongest typhoon to hit the Philippine archipelago in 2021. The disaster
brought up the Filipinos’ collective trauma from prior typhoons, such as Yolanda, and reminded them
that these catastrophic weather occurrences are now a norm as the climate crisis worsens every
year.
The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) provided a comparison
between Typhoon Yolanda and Odette. It said, “Eight years after Super Typhoon Yolanda, the most
destructive storm to hit the Philippines, Super Typhoon Odette brought similar torrential rains, violent
winds, mudslides, floods and storm surges to central parts of the Philippines, leaving a wide path of
destruction and debris in its wake. While not as powerful as Yolanda, Odette damaged houses,
infrastructure and livelihoods on a comparable scale.”
As of January 15, 2022, OCHA reported that Odette had affected 8 million people, displaced 9
million people, destroyed 36 million homes, and affected 514 municipalities. Southern Leyte was one
of the most hit provinces, with 18 towns and cities damaged and its capital, Maasin, completely
destroyed. Power outages, as well as damage to buildings, roads, bridges, schools, health clinics,
water and sanitation systems, occurred in these towns and cities. One month later, 100 of these
towns and communities are still without power or have no power at all.
As of January 13, 2022, the World Food Programme (WFP) estimated that the total crop area
damaged was more than 275,000 acres (111,500 hectares). The WFP also noted that alarming pre-
typhoon malnutrition rates in some damaged communities could worsen unless immediate food
needs are met in the next six months. According to assessments in affected areas, “Market prices are
still fluctuating, and food and cash are among the top demands... the typhoon's impact on
malnutrition and health might be massive in the medium-long term.” Further, diarrhea-related deaths
have been observed in the absence of safe water sources. There have been 895 cases and 9 deaths
in Siargao and Dinagat Islands since the typhoon hit.
Odette, the 15th tropical cyclone to hit the Philippines in 2021, wrecked homes, uprooted
trees, and knocked down power lines. It hit at a time when people in the Philippines were already
dealing with rising poverty, unemployment, and a reversal of development gains following two years
of the pandemic. Their resources have now been decimated, and local coping capacities have been
severely strained. If our institutions remain merely reactive to the climate crisis, these typhoons will
become more powerful, unpredictable, and destructive.
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