Typhoon Rai

Typhoon Rai, known in the Philippines as Super Typhoon Odette, was an extremely powerful, deadly, and destructive late-season tropical cyclone which severely affected the Philippines in mid-December 2021, becoming the second-costliest typhoon in the country's history behind Typhoon Haiyan in 2013.

Rai, named after an artifact called Rai stones, is the 22nd and final named tropical storm, the ninth typhoon, and the fifth super typhoon of the 2021 Pacific typhoon season. The system originated from a tropical disturbance near the equator on December 10, forming near the site of another low-pressure area that had dissipated on the previous day. Environmental conditions were favorable for further development, and the system slowly developed into a tropical depression on December 12. On the same day, the United States Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC) issued a Tropical Cyclone Formation Alert (TCFA) on the consolidating depression. Further intensification ensued, and Rai intensified into a tropical storm the next day, before passing south of Ngulu Atoll. After passing near Palau, Rai entered the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR) by the night of December 14, where PAGASA named it Odette. On the next day, both the JMA and JTWC raised the system's intensity to a low-end Category 1-equivalent typhoon, as an eye continued to appear. While approaching the Philippines, Rai rapidly intensified into a Category 5 super typhoon just before its first landfall across Siargao. It then slowly but steadily weakened as it traversed the Visayas, exiting into the Sulu Sea. After making its last landfall over Palawan, Rai continued to weaken before unexpectedly re-intensifying into a Category 5-equivalent typhoon by December 18, while nearing Vietnam. On the next day, Rai entered yet another weakening phase, dissipating on December 21, southeast of Hong Kong.

As Rai pounded the Philippines, heavy rainfall and strong and gusty winds impacted several areas around the storm's path. Many areas across the Visayas and Mindanao lost electricity with several provinces and areas being deprived further of communication services. Downed trees obstructed many roadways, and flooding was a major problem across the affected regions, particularly Bohol, where the storm was described as "one of the worst for the province". Rivers also overflowed across Cagayan de Oro, while numerous buildings sustained damage. Surigao City was reported to be completely damaged, and appealed for aid. Bohol also pleaded for help from the government due to the damages Rai brought to the area. A state of calamity was placed in the province and Cebu. A total of 410 people died, a large portion of which were from the severely affected island of Bohol. Damages were finalized at ₱47.6 billion (US$951 million), including ₱29.8 billion (US$596 million) of infrastructural damage.

As a result of the extensive damage and high death toll that brought in the Philippines, both names were retired following the season and they will never be used again in the Western Pacific basin and within the Philippine Area of Responsibility, respectively. They were replaced with Sarbul and Opong for future seasons.