‘Agaton’ continues westward over Eastern Samar; over 45,000 affected

MANILA, Philippines — Tropical Storm Agaton has maintained its strength as it moves over the waters of Lawaan in Eastern Samar, the state weather bureau said in its 5 p.m. bulletin. 

PAGASA said the storm continues to slowly move westward.

It said it now expects the storm to move erratically or to be almost stationary over eastern Leyte on top of the previously mentioned southern portion of Samar today until early Tuesday. 

The weather bureau said in a press briefing that the tropical storm might just be a low pressure area by Thursday because of Tropical Storm Malakas. 'Malakas' is expected to enter the Philippine Area of Responsibility by late Monday to early Tuesday, however, PAGASA said it is not expected to hit land.

Here are the list of areas where PAGASA raised Tropical Cyclone Wind Signals: 

• TCWS No. 2 - Areas that can expect gale-force winds in the next 24 hours, which may pose a minor to moderate threat to safety and property:
  • Central and southern portions of Eastern Samar (Balangiga, Balangkayan, Borongan City, Can-avid, Dolores, General Macarthur, Giporlos, Guiuan, Hernani, Lawaan, Llorente, Maslog, Maydolong, Mercedes, Quinapondan,  Salcedo, San Julian, Sulat, and Taft.)
  • Central and southern portions of Samar (Basey, Calbiga, Catbalogan City, Daram, Hinabangan, Jiabong, Marabut, Motiong, Paranas, Pinabacdao, San Jose de Buan, San Jorge, Santa Rita, San Sebastian, Talalora, Tarangnan, Villareal, and Zumarraga.)
  • Biliran
  • Northern and eastern portions of Leyte (Abuyog, Alangalang, Babatngon, Barugo, Burauen, Capoocan, Carigara, Dagami, Dulag, Jaro, Julita, Javier, Kananga, La Paz, Leyte, Mayorga, Macarthur, Mahaplag, Ormoc City, Palo, Pastrana, San Miguel, Santa Fe, Tanauan, Tabontabon, Tacloban City, Tolosa, and Tunga.)
  • Northern portion of Dinagat Islands (Loreto and Tubajon)
     
• TCWS No. 1 - Areas that may experience strong winds in the next 26 hours, with minimal to minor threat to life and property:
  • The rest of Eastern Samar 
  • The rest of Samar
  • Northern Samar
  • Other areas in Leyte
  • Southern Leyte
  • Northeastern parts of Cebu (Daanbantayan, Medellin, Bantayan Islands,
  • Bogo City, San Remigio, Tabogon, Borbon, Tabuelan, Sogod, Catmon, Carmen, Danao City, Compostela, and Liloan) and Camotes Island
  • Eastern part of Bohol (Buenavista, Danao, Dagohoy, Pilar, Guindulman, Candijay, Mabini, Alicia, Ubay, San Miguel, Pres. Carlos P. Garcia, Trinidad, Bien Unido, Talibon, Jetafe)
  • Surigao del Norte
  • Other areas of Dinagat Islands

Updated rainfall warnings

PAGASA Visayas Regional Services Division also changed its rainfall warnings in several areas. It downgraded the warning level of previously listed areas as of 5 p.m., while the PAGASA Southern Luzon Regional Services Division added more areas to its list: 

• Red Warning Level, areas where serious flooding and landslides are expected
   
  • Southern Leyte
  • Northern Samar (as per PAGASA Southern Luzon)
     
• Orange Warning Level, areas facing the threat of flooding and landslides
   
  • Leyte
  • Central and northern Cebu
  • Sorsogon (as per PAGASA Southern Luzon)
     
• Yellow Warning Level, where flooding and landslides remain a possibility
   
  • Eastern Samar
  • Samar
  • Biliran
  • Camarines Sur (as per PAGASA Southern Luzon)
  • Albay (as per PAGASA Southern Luzon)
  • Masbate (as per PAGASA Southern Luzon)

PAGASA Visayas said Bohol may experience light to moderate and, at times, heavy rains in the next hour or two. 

It said Palawan (Quezon, Sofronio Española, Brooke’s Point, Balabac, Bataraza, and Rizal), Southern Cebu, and the Northeastern part of Negros Oriental are already experiencing light to moderate rains and it expects the rains to continue for the next two to three hours.

Meanwhile, PAGASA Southern Luzon warned Camarines Norte, Catanduanes, Romblon, Marinduque, and Oriental Mindoro may continue to experience light to moderate rains.

Damage on ground

The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council’s situational report updated earlier on Sunday showed that the tropical storm has affected 45,588 people or 38,399 families across nine provinces in four regions. 

NDRRMC reported 11,264 are displaced and the majority have been evacuated in 52 centers. 

In Northern Mindanao, 44 houses got damaged because of the typhoon.

Meanwhile, Agaton’s estimated cost of damage to Agriculture stood at P874,000, spanning 230 hectares of crops in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.

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