Philippines: Typhoon Goni

On the morning of 1 November 2020, Typhoon Goni (known locally as Rolly) made landfall in Bicol Region and hit the town of Tiwi in Albay province, causing rivers to overflow and flood much of the region. The typhoon – considered the world’s strongest typhoon so far this year – had maximum sustained winds of 225 km/h and gustiness of up to 280 km/h, moving at 25 km/h. At least 11 towns are reported to be cut off in Bato, Catanduanes province, as roads linking the province’s towns remain impassable. At least 137,000 houses were destroyed or damaged – including more than 300 houses buried under rock in Guinobatan, Albay province, because of a landslide following heavy rains caused by the typhoon.