Aghon, the Philippines' first recorded storm for 2024, left a trail of death and destruction over the weekend, forcing thousands of people to flee their homes and leaving hundreds more stranded in ports all over the country. 

Danny de Guzman, a resident of Mauban, Quezon, said nonstop rains over the weekend caused heavy floods that entered their homes."Makapal po ang putik dala ng bagyo at baha. Lahat ng kapitbahay naglilinis. Wala pa po kuryente," he said in a TeleRadyo interview. 

Aghon strengthens over Philippine Sea; 4 injured due to fallen trees

The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council said Calabarzon and Bicol region were the hardest hit by Typhoon Aghon, which came after months of scorching hot weather brought on by the El Nino phenomenon.

A total of 2,923 families or 11, 941 individuals were forced to evacuate their homes in Calabarzon during Aghon's onslaught.

Three people were reported killed during the typhoon including 2 people who died after being hit by falling trees in Lucena City and Sampaga, San Antonio in Quezon province, according to a report by Area Police Command-Southern Luzon.

Fifty-one seaports were rendered non-operational during the height of the typhoon, affecting 5,969 passengers, 987 rolling cargoes, 40 vessels and 10 motorbancas.

President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. is extending P1.2 humanitarian assistance and readied over PhP3 billion standby funds to ensure a wider and faster distribution of government relief to residents affected by Typhoon Aghon. 

Located along the typhoon belt in the Pacific, the Philippines is visited by an average of 20 typhoons every year. With a report by Ronilo Dagos