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Super Typhoon Rai, known in the Philippines as Typhoon Odette, was a catastrophic, powerful and deadly tropical cyclone that struck the Philippines in December 2021.
Rai became the first Category 5-equivalent super typhoon to develop in the month of December since Nock-ten in 2016, and the third Category 5 super typhoon recorded in the South China Sea, following Pamela in 1954 and Rammasun in 2014. The twenty-second tropical storm, the ninth typhoon, and the fifth super typhoon of the 2021 Pacific typhoon season, the system originated from a tropical disturbance near the equator on December 10, forming near the site of another low-pressure area that had dissipated on the previous day.
Conditions around the system were favorable for further development, and it slowly developed into a tropical depression on December 12. On the same day, the United States Joint Typhoon Warning Center issued a Tropical Cyclone Formation Alert on the consolidating depression.
Further intensification ensued, and Rai was upgraded to a tropical storm the next day, before passing south of Ngulu Atoll. After passing near Palau and impacting the island nation, Rai entered the Philippine Area of Responsibility by the night of December 14, where the PAGASA named it "Odette". On the next day, both the JMA and JTWC raised the system's intensity to a low-end Category 1-equivalent typhoon, as an eye continued to appear.
While approaching the Philippines, Rai unexpectedly rapidly intensified into a Category 5 super typhoon just before its first landfall across Siargao. It then slowly but steadily weakened as it traversed Visayas, exiting into the Sulu Sea. After making its last landfall over Palawan, Rai continued to weaken before unexpectedly re-intensifying into a Category 5-equivalent typhoon by December 18, while nearing Vietnam. On the next day, Rai initiated yet another weakening phase.
Tropical cyclone warnings were issued for areas in the Philippines and parts of the Caroline Islands as Rai developed.
Early bulletins were issued by PAGASA for Rai, starting on December 12 due to the persistent track of the system towards the country. As the storm neared the country, land travels were canceled, along with flights and ferry operations. People living near coastal areas and into the track of the storm were urged to evacuate. Fishing vessels were also docked into safety and many provinces in the Visayas started to prepare for the storm's brunt. Storm signals were also raised by PAGASA, first focusing on parts of the Visayas and Mindanao, before further expanding into southern Luzon. Food and non-food packages were also prepared by the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) for the evacuees, along with standby funds worth near $15,000. Forced evacuations were conducted as Rai further approached the country, with some people in the Bicol Region being warned of possible lahars from Mayon Volcano. A festival in Antique was also affected, along with vaccination drives across the affected regions. Fishing vessels across the coastal areas of Vietnam were moved into safety while thousands of people were prepared to be evacuated due to the storm. Flight services were halted and crops were harvested early.
As Rai pounded the Philippines, heavy rainfall, strong and gusty winds impacted several areas around the storm's path. Many areas across Visayas and Mindanao lost electricity with several provinces and areas being deprived further of communication services. Downed trees obstructed many roadways, and flooding was a major problem across the affected regions, particularly Bohol, where the storm was described as "one of the worst for the province". Rivers also overflowed across Cagayan de Oro, while numerous buildings sustained damages. Surigao City was reported to be completely damaged, and appealed for aid. Bohol also pleaded for help to the government due to the damages Rai brought to the area. A state of calamity has been placed in the province and Cebu.
So far, over 400 people have died, a large portion of which were from the severely affected island of Bohol. Damages at the aforementioned location were projected to be worth ₱5 billion ($100 million), with those in Siargao being estimated to be worth ₱20 billion ($401 million) and those in Negros Occidental being estimated to be worth ₱5.9 billion ($118 million). According to the United Nations, 13 million people are expected to be affected in the Philippines. At least 515 are injured, with 56 missing. Many public and private facilities were also harmed as a result of the storm.
