‘Aghon’ seen becoming a typhoon today
“AGHON” yesterday intensified into a severe tropical storm after making its eighth landfall in Lucena City in Quezon, part of which was placed under Signal 3.
Aghon, the country’s first tropical cyclone for this year, initially intensified into a tropical storm, from tropical a depression, yesterday morning while moving at Tayabas Bay in Quezon, said the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA).
PAGASA said Aghon may reach the typhoon category this afternoon and may exit the Philippine area of responsibility on Wednesday.
Aghon made landfall in Lucena City at 4:30 a.m., its eighth since Friday night.
Aghon’s first landfall was in Homonhon Island in Guiuan, Eastern Samar, then in Giporlon, Eastern Samar; Basiao and Caduyong islands, both in Catbalogan, Samar; Batuan town and Masbate City in Masbate; and Torrijos, Masbate.
Aghon became a tropical depression — from low pressure area — on Friday morning. It further intensified into a severe tropical storm, yesterday afternoon,
As of 7 p.m. yesterday, Aghon was in the vicinity of Patnanungan in Quezon, PAGASA said in its 8 p.m. bulletin. It was packing maximum sustained winds of 100 kph near the center and gustiness of up to 150 kph. It was moving northeastward slowly, recurving from the northwestward track it has been taking over the past days.
STORM SIGNALS
As of 8 p.m. yesterday, Polillo Island in Quezon was under Signal No. 3. PAGASA said there is “moderate to significant threat to life and property” due to winds.
Six areas were under Signal No. 2 — Aurora, northern and central portions of Quezon, Laguna, eastern portion of Batangas, eastern portion of Rizal, and northern portion of Camarines Norte
Under Signal No. 2, there is minor to moderate threat to life and property due to winds, PAGASA said.
Metro Manila and 14 other areas were under Signal No.1. The 14 others are eastern portion of Isabela, eastern portion of Quirino, eastern portion of Nueva Vizcaya, eastern portion of Nueva Ecija, eastern portion of Pampanga, southeastern portion of Bataan, Bulacan, rest of Rizal, Cavite, rest of Batangas, rest of Quezon, northeastern portion of Oriental Mindoro, Marinduque, rest of Camarines Norte, and the northern portion of Camarines Sur.
PAGASA said there is minimal to minor threat to life and property due to winds under Signal No. 1.
“Aghon will continue to move northeastward towards the Philippine Sea,” said PAGASA, adding Aghon may further intensify into a typhoon this afternoon.
AFFECTED FAMILIES
The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) said 513 families or 2,734 individuals have so far been affected by Aghon in the Bicol and Eastern Visayas regions alone.
NDRRMC spokesperson Edgar Posadas also said the agency has also recorded four people injured after their tricycle was hit by a fallen tree in Legazpi City in Albay.
A fallen tree was also reported in Taytay, Rizal
Posadas said the injured were three male children aged 12, 11 and 5, and 30-year-old male.
On reports about a fatality in Misamis Oriental, Posadas said, “As of now, we have no report about it but we will look into that. We will ask our regional office in Region 10 (Northern Mindanao) to validate (the information).”
The reports said a female student died after the tricycle she was riding was hit by a fallen tree.
Randy Sulit, barangay chairman of Barangay Milagrosa in Calamba City, Laguna, said they found yesterday a body of a child who drowned in the barangay.
Of the affected 513 families or 2,734 individuals affected by Aghon in Bicol and Eastern Visayas, Posadas said 503 families or 2,669 individuals are displaced.
Posadas said reports from field offices are “very fluid” because their personnel are in the middle of disaster response. He said the figures may increase in the coming days.
The Office of Civil Defense-Calabarzon said 292 families or 1,028 individuals in 17 barangays in Quezon were affected by Aghon.
LANDSLIDES
Posadas said the NDRRMC has monitored two rain-induced landslides, flooding in six areas in Bicol and Eastern Visayas.
He said four houses were “totally damaged” and 17 others were “partially damaged” in the Eastern Visayas alone.
He also said 51 seaports were affected in the Calabarzon, Mimaropa, Central Visayas, Eastern Visayas and Northern Mindanao regions, leaving nearly 6,000 passengers and 987 rolling cargoes stranded due to suspension of sea travel.
Posadas said there were six instances of power interruptions reported in Bicol and Eastern Visayas. He said power in majority of these areas were back as of yesterday morning.
Posadas said the NDRRMC operations center in Camp Aguinaldo is on red alert status.
Posadas said 53 search, rescue and retrieval teams are on standby, ready to be deployed in case of emergency. Also, he said 206 sea assets, 56 land assets and five air assets have been also readied for disaster response.
The Taytay, Rizal public information office said fallen acacia tree was at the parking lot in front of the Minor Basilica and Parish of St. John the Baptist.
It damaged two parked vehicles.
Basilica officials, in a statement, said based on pictures of the church, the tree is believed to have been there since the 18th century. — With Christian Oineza
