Death toll rises to 30 as Lando weakens further

MANILA, Philippines - Typhoon Lando (international name Koppu) weakened into a tropical storm yesterday but will continue to drench water-logged Luzon with heavy rains, leaving at least 30 people dead and thousands displaced in its wake.

Lando moved further north but its huge rain band ensured more downpours, adding to the misery of residents in the provinces in Central Luzon with damage to properties and crops exceeding P5 billion, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) said yesterday.

Four new fatalities were recorded in Central Luzon, the region worst hit by the typhoon. Aurora residents Armando de Leon, 26, and Riza Lisma, 40, died after being hit by a fallen tree. Leonardo Cinco, 11, of Aurora and Evangeline Cortez, 57, of Zambales drowned.

A report by the Office of Civil Defense-Cordillera said three persons died due to landslides – Fernando Gumpad, 56, of Benguet, Antonio Pallay, 61, of Ifugao and Reginaldo Basilio, 38, also of Ifugao. Two others drowned after being swept away by strong currents: Ryan Biglay, 23, of Abra and Norton Jose, 26, of Benguet.

The Baguio City Police said minors Diane Tucay, 7, and her sister Vanessa, 6, died of injuries after being buried in a landslide along Tacay Road.

Four others died after a boat capsized in Bani,  Pangasinan, according to the Pangasinan Provincial Police. They were identified as Sixto Veloria, 59; Cristina Veloria, 58; Trisha Cabana, 3 and one-year-old Susan Cabana.

Three persons remained missing while 36 others were injured as of yesterday evening.

A total of 446,322 persons or 99,004 families have been displaced and are either inside evacuation centers or in the houses of their relatives and friends, the NDRRMC said.

Most of those displaced were evacuees escaping the floods that inundated towns, mostly in Central Luzon.

Floods reaching the roof of houses covered some of the nation’s most important rice and corn farming regions in Central Luzon flanking the Cordilleras.

While the water had subsided yesterday in areas close to the mountain ranges, such as in Cabanatuan City in Nueva Ecija, the flooding had moved downstream to farming towns in Bulacan and Pampanga.

More than 200 villages in the farming regions of Central Luzon, particularly in Nueva Ecija, were flooded yesterday with some areas more than one meter under water, according to a report from the local civil defense office.

And as heavy rain continued over the Cordillera mountain range, more water was expected to flow down.

The NDRRMC said the amount of property damaged by Lando has reached P5.305 billion, mostly in agriculture, while infrastructure accounted for P520,000.

The Department of Public Works and Highways said 35 national roads were blocked by fallen trees and landslides.

The Philippine Coast Guard reported 1,078 passengers still stranded in various ports.

More rains

The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) warned Lando would cut back to the far northern edge of Luzon this morning after picking up more water in the South China Sea.

Weather forecaster Aldczar Aurelio said moderate to heavy to at times intense rains are expected in Northern Luzon, especially the western section, until tomorrow.

As of 4 p.m. yesterday, the center of Lando was located at 90 kilometers west of Calayan, Cagayan with maximum sustained winds of 75 kilometers per hour near the center and gustiness of up to 90 kph.

Lando was still moving northeast slowly at four kph.

Aurelio said the typhoon weakened into a storm due to its interaction with land and the cold sea temperature brought by the northeast monsoon.

He said Lando is expected to be downgraded to a tropical depression tomorrow or Friday and become a low-pressure area by Saturday or Sunday as it exits the Philippine area of responsibility.

As of 5 p.m. yesterday, public storm warning signal No. 2 remained hoisted over Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, Apayao, Abra, Batanes, Northern Cagayan, including Calayan, and Babuyan Group of Islands.

Signal No. 1 was still up in La Union, Pangasinan, Kalinga, Mountain Province, Ifugao, Benguet, Nueva Vizcaya, Isabela and the rest of Cagayan.

Generally fair weather is expected in the whole country this weekend until Monday, apart from isolated rainshowers or thunderstorms, Aurelio said.

More water, rice importation  

PAGASA said Lando dumped almost two month’s worth of rain over Baguio City in the past 20 hours.

Based on data received by PAGASA from 8 a.m. Monday to 4 a.m. Tuesday, the rainfall recorded in Baguio City was 737 millimeters, almost double the area’s average rainfall for October at 454.3 mm.

Two dams in Benguet – Ambuklao and Binga – continued to release water as of yesterday morning, while three gates of San Roque dam in Pangasinan also remained open.

On the upside, Lando has replenished water reservoirs dried out by the prevailing El Niño. 

Officials, however, said the damage caused by Lando on agriculture in Central Luzon could force the country to import more rice. – With Czeriza Valencia, Eva Visperas, Artemio Dumlao, Ding Cervantes, Ric Sapnu, Evelyn Macairan, Ramon Efren Lazaro, AP