SEAToday.com, Manila - Storm-weary Filipinos have begun clearing debris, including fallen trees, and repairing homes damaged by Super Typhoon Man-yi, the sixth major storm to strike the Philippines in less than a month. The typhoon caused at least eight fatalities.

Man-yi weakened significantly into a severe tropical storm before exiting the country around noon on Monday (11/18).

In Nueva Ecija, a northern province, heavy rains from the typhoon triggered a landslide that claimed seven lives and injured three others, according to local disaster management authorities. Meanwhile, in Camarines Norte in the east, an elderly man lost his life after his motorbike became entangled in a downed power line during the storm.

The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) had warned of "potentially catastrophic" impacts from Man-yi. However, early evacuations and lower-than-expected rainfall helped mitigate the storm’s devastation.

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. described the aftermath as “not as bad as we feared” on Monday.

At its peak on Saturday (11/16), Man-yi had maximum sustained winds of 185 km/h (115 mph) and first made landfall in Catanduanes, an island province. It struck Aurora province for a second time on Sunday afternoon. Along its path, the storm uprooted trees, brought down power lines, demolished wooden homes, and caused tidal surges, landslides, and widespread flooding. In Ilagan City, located in Isabela province, severe flooding submerged parts of the area.

Camille Gianan, a provincial information officer in Catanduanes, told AFP that power outages in the area could persist for months. She added, "Most light-material houses were flattened, while concrete homes had their roofs, windows, and doors severely damaged."

The Camarines Norte and Catanduanes regions are still recovering from massive floods in October, which claimed dozens of lives. In Baler, a coastal town in Aurora province, cleanup operations have begun to clear roads and waterways of debris and fallen trees. Disaster officer Neil Rojo noted, "Many of the houses here are made of light materials, so we are expecting significant damage even before inspections are completed."

The Philippines experiences an average of 20 storms and typhoons annually. However, in an unprecedented occurrence, six storms have hit the country since late October, including four in November—a phenomenon the Japan Meteorological Agency says is a first since its record-keeping began in 1951. Collectively, the recent storms have claimed at least 163 lives and devastated crops and livestock across the affected regions.