The death toll in the Philippines from Severe Tropical Storm Trami rose to at least 85, with the country bracing for a new cyclone and Trami’s possible return.
As many as 41 people were reported missing following the storm that also displaced more than half a million people, the disaster risk reduction agency said on Saturday. Most of the deaths from the storm occurred on the main Luzon island.
Early estimates placed damage to agriculture and infrastructure at 378 million pesos ($6.5 million), the agency said.
Trami may loop back toward the Philippines just before it hits Vietnam due to potential interaction with another tropical storm called Kong-Rey, according to Philippine weather forecaster Pagasa.
Trami — known in the Philippines as Kristine — closed schools, suspended work in government offices and shut the currency market before leaving the country. It’s forecast to loop as soon as Sunday.
Kong-Rey is moving west northwest over the Philippine sea and is expected to become a typhoon by Monday before leaving the Philippines.
The Southeast Asian nation is among the most vulnerable to climate-related weather events, including an average of 20 typhoons annually.