SUPER typhoon “Nando” made landfall in Calayan, Cagayan yesterday afternoon and has so far displaced some 14,000 individuals in four regions.
Three areas were placed under wind Signal No. 4 based, on a bulletin issued by the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) at 8 p.m.
These are Babuyan Islands, northwestern portion of Cagayan, and the northern portion of Ilocos Norte.
PAGASA said potential impacts of winds to life and property in areas under Signal No. 4 are “significant to severe.”
Four areas are under Signal No. 3 — Batanes, northern and central portions of mainland Cagayan, northern and central portions of Apayao, and the rest of Ilocos Norte.
Ten areas are under Signal No. 2 — rest of mainland Cagayan, northern portion of Isabela, rest of Apayao, Abra, Kalinga, Mountain Province, Ifugao, the northern portion of Benguet, Ilocos Sur, and the northern portion of La Union.
Meanwhile, 13 areas are under Signal No. 1. These are rest of Isabela, Quirino, Nueva Vizcaya, rest of Benguet, rest of La Union, Pangasinan, Aurora, Nueva Ecija, Bulacan, Tarlac, Pampanga, Zambales, and the northern portion of Quezon including Polillo Islands.
PAGASA said Nando made landfall in Panuitan Island in Calayan at around 3 p.m.
“Nando is at its peak intensity, although slight intensification is still not ruled out,” it said.
“Nevertheless, the super typhoon is forecast to begin weakening within the next 24 hours due to marginally favorable environment that it will encounter over the West Philippine Sea,” it added.
PAGASA said Nando was projected to continue moving away from the Babuyan Islands Monday night and forecast to exit the Philippine area of responsibility this morning.
PAGASA said the southwest monsoon, which is being enhanced by Nando, will continue to bring rains to Metro Manila and other areas in Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao.
As of 7 p.m., Nando was some 85 km west northwest of Calayan, Cagayan, PAGASA said. It was moving westward at 20 kph, packing maximum sustained winds of 215 kph near the center and gustiness of up to 265 kph.
DISPLACED
Junie Castillo, spokesman of the Office of Civil Defense, said Nando has displaced some 5,000 families or around 14,000 individuals in four regions — Ilocos, Cagayan Valley, Central Luzon, and Cordillera Administrative Region.
In an interview with PTV 4, Castillo said these families were evacuated as early as Saturday, a day before Nando intensified into a super typhoon.
In Cagayan, the provincial disaster risk reduction and management office said 3,385 families (10,353 individuals) were affected by Nando as of 8 a.m. yesterday.
The affected are from 136 barangays in 17 municipalities, it said.
Of the number, 2,651 families (8,188 individuals) are in evacuation centers.
It also said power interruptions were reported in the municipalities of Abulug, Alcala, Amulung, Aparri, Baggao, Ballesteros, Buguey, Calayan, Claveria, Gonzaga, Iguig, Lallo, Lasam, Pamplona, Penablanca, Sanchez Mira, Sta. Teresia, Sta. Ana, and Sta Praxedes; and Tuguegarao City.
Asked for an assessment of Nando’s effects following its landfall, Cagayan provincial disaster risk reduction and management office chief Rueli Rapsing said, “None yet because the wind is still strong. No one is going out to conduct the damage assessment.”
Rapsing said the province will conduct the damage assessment once the weather improves.
Diego Mariano, officer-in-charge of the Civil Defense Communications and Advocacy Division of the OCD, said they are still assessing the effects of Nando’s landfall.
FULL ALERT
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr assured the public the government is on full alert and closely coordinating with local government units (LGUs) to ensure immediate response to the needs of the affected population.
The President, in a statement, said he has received reports of strong winds in several provinces, particularly those in the typhoon’s path.
Marcos also said preemptive evacuations have been conducted in vulnerable areas, with the LGUs coordinating with the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) and other agencies.
Data from the DSWD’s Disaster Response Operations Information Communication (DROMIC), showed that as of 6 a.m. yesterday, 31,626 families or 113,094 persons in 297 barangays in Regions I (Ilocos Region), II (Cagayan Valley), III (Central Luzon), V (Bicol Region), VI (Western Visayas), IX (Zamboanga Peninsula), and the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR) have been affected by the effects of tropical depression “Mirasol” and the southwest monsoon which has been aggravated by Nando.
Social Welfare Assistant Secretary and spokesperson Irene Dumlao said at least 3,800 family food packs and non-food items such as family, kitchen, and sleeping kits and laminated sacks have been distributed to the affected population in the provinces of Quirino, Nueva Ecija, Camarines Sur, Capiz and Iloilo. – With Jocelyn Montemayor and Gerard Naval
