Super Typhoon Slams Coastal Luzon, Six Dead From Fallen Trees, Villages Cut Off, Power Fails

Baler, Philippines— A super typhoon slammed into coastal Luzon on October 31, 2026, killing six people after trees fell onto homes and roads, and forcing thousands into evacuation centers.

The storm made landfall in Aurora Province around 4 a.m. PAGASA said sustained winds reached 195 kilometers per hour, with gusts near 240. It was the strongest to hit Luzon this year. Storm surge pushed into fishing villages. Rain came sideways.

The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council confirmed six fatalities by afternoon. All were from fallen trees. Two were in Isabela, where a Narra tree crashed through a concrete house. One was in Cagayan, where a man was struck while securing his boat. The rest were in Aurora and Quirino. Police said victims included three farmers and two children.

Power failed in six provinces. More than 200,000 households lost electricity. Cell towers toppled. Roads were blocked by trunks the size of cars. In Baler, a main bridge was closed after a tree took out its railing. Trucks carrying rice could not get through.

Evacuations started two days earlier. More than 15,000 people were moved from low-lying and coastal areas. Many stayed in schools. One principal in Casiguran said 800 people were sleeping in classrooms built for 300. No mats. Water was running low.

Fishing boats were smashed. In Dingalan, a dozen bancas were tossed onto the beach road. One owner said he lost everything. His boat was his house. His nets were gone. He sat on an overturned hull and stared at the sea.

The agriculture department said initial damage reports were heavy. Corn and rice fields in Cagayan Valley were flattened. Banana plantations in Aurora were stripped. A provincial officer said winds peeled roofs like paper. In some towns, every other house lost its tin.

PAGASA said the typhoon would exit over the West Philippine Sea tonight but would still bring heavy rain to Ilocos and Zambales. It warned of landslides in the Sierra Madre. The mountains were already saturated.

By evening, the wind had eased in Aurora but was still howling further north. Relief trucks were lined up at a landslide near Maria Aurora. The death toll stood at six. Officials said it would likely rise once remote barangays were reached.