Heavy rains triggered by the approaching tropical storm Trami flooded cities and towns in eastern Philippines overnight, trapping people on rooftops and pushing calls for rescue, officials said Wednesday.
The government closed public schools and offices across Luzon Island, anticipating the arrival of Trami. The storm, with winds of 85 kilometers per hour and gusts of up to 105 km/h, was about 310 kilometers east of Baler, Aurora province.It is expected to make landfall Wednesday night.
Thousands have moved to emergency shelters in northeastern provinces, with storm warnings issued for more than two dozen northern and central provinces, including Manila. No fatalities or major injuries have been reported so far.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr canceled his Wednesday appointments to coordinate rescue and relief operations from military headquarters, according to communications secretary Cesar Chavez.

“People have been stuck on the roofs of their houses for several hours now,” former vice president Leni Robredo, residing in Naga, posted on Facebook. “Many of our rescue trucks have stalled due to the floods.”
Coast guard personnel have been rescuing residents in flooded areas of Sorsogon, Albay, Camarines Sur, Catanduanes, and other regions. However, local authorities mentioned a shortage of rescue boats and crews.
Coast guard restrictions have stranded thousands of passengers and cargo workers at seaports, as ferry services and fishing operations have been suspended due to rough seas.

Representative Luis Raymund Villafuerte of Camarines Sur, speaking to DZRH radio, said that his flood-prone province needs more rescue boats. “We need national intervention,” he said. “Last night, my phone was filled with nonstop calls and text messages from people pleading, ‘Help us, rescue us.'”
In Quezon province, governor Angelina Tan said that floods have reached up to 3 meters, leading to the evacuation of at least 8,000 villagers.
The Philippines, facing around 20 storms and typhoons annually, is one of the world’s most disaster-prone areas. In 2013, Typhoon Haiyan caused over 7,300 deaths or disappearances and massive displacement.