TROPICAL depression “Amang,” the country’s first cyclone for the year, yesterday weakened into a low pressure area (LPA) but will continue to bring rains in many parts of the country.
The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Service Administration (PAGASA) said the LPA was in the vicinity of Infanta, Quezon as of 3 p.m. yesterday.
In a bulletin issued at 11 a.m., PAGASA said Amang weakened into an LPA at around 8 a.m.
“This weather disturbance may dissipate in the next 24 hours,” said PAGASA.
Amang made three landfalls — in Panganiban, Catanduanes on Tuesday night, and in Presentacion, Camarines Sur and Lagonoy, Camarines Sur on Wednesday afternoon.
PAGASA said Metro Manila, Central Luzon, Calabarzon, Mimaropa and Camarines Norte will still have cloudy skies with scattered rain showers and thunderstorms due to the LPA.
The rest of the country will have partly cloudy to cloudy skies with isolated rain showers or thunderstorms due to the LPA and localized thunderstorms.
The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council has recorded 39 incidents of flooding in Camarines Sur, Camarines Norte and Albay.
Flooding in 13 of these areas has subsided while floods were receding in six other areas as 8 a.m. yesterday, the NDRRMC said
NDRRMC said 81 families or 280 individuals were affected, of which 78 families or 275 individuals are staying at five evacuation centers.
Quezon Gov. Helen Tan said residents of Barangay Magsaysay in Lopez town were evacuated Wednesday night due to flooding.
The Department of Social Welfare and Development said 521 families or 2,196 individuals from the Bicol and Davao del Norte regions were affected by Amang.
DSWD Assistant Secretary and spokesman Rommel Lopez said continued rains from Amang resulted in flooding in some parts of the two regions and even damaged 14 houses in Magsaysay and Santa Cruz in Davao del Sur. — With Jocelyn Montemayor
