MANILA, Philippines — Super Typhoon Egay swept toward northern Philippines yesterday, triggering evacuation orders for coastal communities expected to bear the brunt of the powerful storm.
Egay (international name Doksuri) was packing maximum sustained winds of 185 kilometers per hour as it roared toward the northern tip of the main island of Luzon.
The storm was expected to make landfall or pass close to the lightly populated Babuyan islands or northeastern Cagayan province by today, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said in its 5 p.m. bulletin.
The typhoon would then move towards Taiwan and southeastern China.
Coastal communities in northwestern and northeastern Cagayan province had been ordered to evacuate their homes in anticipation of storm surges reaching, or even exceeding, three meters.
Three of the five Babuyan islands are inhabited, with a population of around 20,000 people.
Local disaster official Charles Castillejos said people living near the shores of those islands had been ordered to go inland, while fishermen had been told to get their boats out of the water.
“We sent the police to convince the hard-headed ones who refuse to evacuate,” Castillejos told AFP.
Science and technology secretary Renato Solidum said people needed to be prepared for the typhoon because “things happen fast.”
“We need to remind our people the importance of readiness against storm surges, strong winds and also possible floods,” Solidum told reporters.
Some farmers in the northern province of Isabela, bordering Cagayan, were seen leading their livestock to safety ahead of the storm.
“Those living on coastal areas have been moved to higher ground,” Isabela provincial disaster officer Constante Foronda told local radio station dzBB.
“Our water search and rescue teams are now deployed in those areas most likely to be affected,” Foronda said.
‘Highly likely’
The Philippines is hit by an average of 20 major storms each year that kill hundreds of people and keep vast regions in perpetual poverty.
Scientists have warned that such storms, which also kill livestock and destroy key infrastructure, are becoming more powerful as the world gets warmer because of climate change.
Boats, including wooden outriggers and passenger ferries that provide transport between islands, have been ordered to shore in Luzon and central islands due to gale warnings, stranding more than 11,000 people, the Philippine Coast Guard said.
By midday Wednesday, the storm was expected to have dumped more than 200 millimeters of rain on the islands and the northern portion of Cagayan, including Babuyan islands, as well as Ilocos Norte and Ilocos Sur provinces.
Heavy rain was also expected across the mountainous northern provinces in the coming days, with flooding and landslides “highly likely,” the weather agency said.
Cagayan provincial disaster officer Ruelie Rapsing told dzBB that emergency food packs had been stored in warehouses.
“The province has been on red alert status since Saturday and all evacuation centres, emergency operation centres of each town, and incident management teams are activated,” he said.
“Cagayanons are used to this.”
Crops affected
Super Typhoon Egay will impact 625,703 hectares of rice and 319,191 hectares of corn as it continues to threaten Northern Luzon.
The Department of Agriculture advised farmers to harvest matured crops, utilize post-harvest facilities, secure seed reserves and other farm inputs, relocate animals and equipment to higher ground and clear drainage in irrigations to prevent flooding.
Egay is forecast to weaken as it interacts with the rugged terrain of Northern Luzon and Taiwan. The super typhoon might exit the Philippine area of responsibility on Thursday morning.
Stranded
As of Tuesday noon, 11,100 passengers, truck drivers and cargo helpers were stranded in various seaports in four regions including the National Capital Region due to Super Typhoon Egay, according to the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG).
Among those stranded, 6,716 were in different ports in the Bicol Region, 2,635 in Eastern Visayas, 1,389 in Southern Tagalog and 360 at the North Port Passenger Terminal in NCR.
There are also 2,030 rolling cargoes and 27 motorized boats stranded at the seaports.
Flights
The Manila International Airport Authority announced the cancellation of 20 domestic flights yesterday.
Philippine Airlines canceled two domestic flights; AirSwift Airlines Philippines canceled 16 domestic flights; Sunlight Air canceled two domestic flights.
Flights at Basco Airport in Batanes were also canceled, according to Louie Asantor of the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines.
Evacuation
At least 10 families in the town of Macabebe in Pampanga have been evacuated, according to the Macabebe Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (MDDRMO).
They have been transferred to the elementary school and chapel in Barangay Saplad David.
As of Monday noon, portions of the village are under two feet of floodwater.
A total of 15,633 families or 51,754 individuals are affected by Egay, the Macabebe MDDRMO reported.
The provincial government of Cagayan has ordered the forced evacuation of its residents.
Cagayan Gov. Manuel Mamba ordered the preemptive evacuation due to the risks brought by Egay as the province had been put under Signal No. 3 by the state weather bureau, according to Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council head Ruelie Rapsing.
The high sea water level, at three meters, impacts mainland Cagayan and the coastal towns of Sta. Ana, Gonzaga, Sanchez Mira, Pamplona, Claveria and Aparri, Rapsing added.
The provincial government of Negros Occidental has suspended work at the capitol and a skeletal workforce will remain, according to a memorandum issued by Negros Occidental Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson.
More than 15,000 residents sought shelter or have been evacuated yesterday.
The town of Valladolid was most affected after 3,338 families or 22,168 individuals have been evacuated.
The local governments of E.B. Magalona, Silay City and Pulupandan have also suspended work.
Due to continuous rains Tuesday morning, waters in Mambuloc River, Cabalagnan River, Lupit River and Magsungay River rose to critical levels.
The Bacolod City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office opened nine evacuation sites to accommodate families affected by flooding.
As of Tuesday noon, 41 families or 105 individuals are in five evacuation sites, according to Bacolod City’s Public Information Office.
The Bureau of Fire Protection rescued 74 families in Purok Hanapbuhay, Brgy. Pahanocoy and evacuated them to the MG Medalla Integrated School.
The PCG in Negros Occidental has suspended Tabuelan-Escalante, Sagay-Capiz and Daanbantayan-Cadiz boat trips.
Meanwhile , the province of Batanes is under Signal No. 3.
The northern portion of Cagayan is under Signal No. 4, while the rest of Cagayan is under Signal No. 3. – AFP, Ric Sapnu, Jun Elias, Gilbert Bayoran, Neil Jayson Servallos, Victor Martin