In this handout photo taken on May 26, 2024 and released on May 27, 2024 by the Philippine Coast Guard, a woman is evacuated from a flooded home by coast guard personnel in Lucena, Quezon Province, amid heavy rain brought by tropical storm Ewiniar.MANILA, Philippines — A severe storm battered the Philippines' most populous island on Sunday, dumping heavy rain and causing flooding that forced more than 8,000 people to flee their homes.
More than 6,000 people were forced to leave their homes in the province, figures posted on the provincial government's Facebook page show. In neighboring Laguna province, disaster officials said more than 2,000 people had sought shelter as over half of the 30 municipalities flooded. About 20 storms and typhoons hit the country or its surrounding waters per year, damaging homes and infrastructure and killing hundreds of people.