tropical storm. Opal crossed northwestern Luzon and the Babuyan Islands on December 16 and later became extratropical near Okinawa on December 17; this phase of Opal's development dissipated the next day. Preparations and impact Opal inflicted minor damage to a few homes in Palau, where winds reached an estimated . Tent homes in Angaur and Peleliu were inundated by storm surge. The Philippine Weather Bureau initially issued storm warnings for the eastern Visayas and Mindanao on December 13 in anticipation of Opal; these warnings were later extended to southern and central Luzon. Philippine Airlines cancelled all flights scheduled for the afternoon of December 14 and the U.S. military moved its Luzon-based aircraft to safety. Manila International Airport closed and railways were brought to a standstill. Some schools and offices in Manila were forced to close due to Opal's rains. The total cost of damage caused by Opal in the Philippines was estimated at US$25 million. Two people were killed and another three were injured in Virac, Catanduanes, after their house was razed by a landslide caused by torrential rainfall. Opal caused significant property damage in Luzon and disrupted communications. Rice crops were damaged by heavy rainfall, and together with coconut crops, sustained losses estimated in the millions of U.S. dollars. These crop losses were most severe in central and southeast Luzon. A washout led to the derailing of eight coaches on passenger train carrying 1,500 passengers in Quezon. Another train with 400–500 passengers collided with a goods wagon blown onto the tracks by Opal's winds, though no injuries were reported. A freighter was driven ashore by the typhoon at Jose Panganiban. In total, 26 people were killed and thousands of others were left homeless in the wake of Opal in the Philippines. The Philippine government designated 54 provinces and cities disaster areas. Rough seas from Opal off Okinawa swept two people off a ship stranded on a reef during a rescue operation, leading to their deaths. See also Typhoon Irma (Klaring; 1966) – a typhoon that took an identical track; sunk the Pioneer Cebu and Banca Alex. Typhoon Ivan (Narsing; 1997) – a very strong typhoon that took a similar track. Typhoon Zeb (Iliang; 1998) – a category 5-equivalent typhoon that took a comparable track. Typhoon Nanmadol (Yayang; 2004) – an intense typhoon that affected similar areas. Tropical Storm Choi-wan (Dante; 2021) – a tropical storm that also brought impacts