Typhoon Tembin Floods Philippines Leaving Countless Missing

On Dec. 22, Typhoon Tembin rolled through the Philippines devastating hundreds of residents. The tropical storm touched down on the main southern island of Mindanao and developed into a typhoon Dec. 24. According to CNN, 156 residents have died and 159 are still missing.

Casualty numbers are unclear as residents were forced to disperse from the heavy floods of the Cagayan de Oro River, which resulted from the typhoon’s extreme rains. Additionally, mudslides have been a concern in rural village communities. The storm has hit an estimated 389 villages across five regions in the Philippines and forced many to take refuge at evacuation centers.

Typhoon Tembin clocked in at 50 mph of sustained winds and a peak of 59 mph. As the storm made its way towards the Mekong Delta of Vietnam on Christmas day, the winds lessened into a tropical depression and caused minimal damage. In the wake of the typhoon, contaminated storm water remains a concern for Filipinos in impacted regions as well as debris, flood damaging and electricity.