Tropical Storm Kai-tak

Tropical Storm Kai-tak, known in the Philippines as Tropical Storm Urduja, was a late-season tropical cyclone that affected the Philippines during mid-December 2017. The twenty-sixth named storm of the 2017 Pacific typhoon season, Kai-tak started as a tropical depression near Palau on December 11. After slowly intensifying, the system became a tropical storm on December 14. Due to its slow motion, Kai-tak made landfall in Samar on December 16 and traversed the Philippine Islands. Kai-tak later moved in a west-southwestward direction until it dissipated on December 23 near Malaysia.

When the storm inched closer to the Philippines, PAGASA sent a storm warning to Eastern Visayas and multiple other regions. Families were sent to evacuation centers and schools, and Filipino residents were advised to take caution. Preparations were made, with shelters created and local governments monitoring the storm. Class suspensions were noted in the country. After the storm hit the Philippines, the storm went over the South China Sea, eventually reaching Brunei and Malaysia.

Damage was caused in some regions, more specifically Eastern Visayas. Ports were affected, causing tourists to be stranded. Floods were noted in Tacloban and in multiple other big cities. Even southern provinces, like Zamboanga, were affected. The storm eventually crossed over to Brunei and Malaysia, though it did not make landfall over the two nations. Heavy floods were still noted in those places, causing one death. The storm caused 83 deaths and US$74.3 million in damage in the Philippines. Massive floods and landslides led to extensive rescue operations and aid operations. The effects of the storm caused the retirement of the name Kai-tak, and later Urduja.