5.4 M at risk from ‘Ompong’
Landfall expected in Cagayan-Isabela area at dawn today; massive evacuation underway
Typhoon “Ompong” (international name “Mangkhut”) continued to barrel closer to landmass but slightly shifted toward more densely populated areas, raising the number of people at risk to 5.4 million, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC)
said Friday.
The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA), in its 5 p.m. weather bulletin, said Ompong is forecast to make a landfall in the CagayanIsabela area, where massive evacuation was underway, between 1 a.m. and 3 a.m. today, Sept. 15.
With the slight shift in Ompong’s path, Isabela may likely bear the brunt of the monster typhoon.
NDRRMC spokesman Edgar Posadas said Isabela has 1.57 million people at risk, while Cagayan is next with 1.2 million people.
PAGASA warned residents along coastal areas of these two provinces that storm surge of up to 6 meters is expected.
A huge raincloud band 900 kilometers (560 miles) wide, combined with seasonal monsoon rains, means the typhoon will bring heavy to intense rains that could set off landslides and flash floods.
Posadas said that of the 5.4 million people at risk, 983,100 of them are below the poverty line.
“They are the ones living in poverty and therefore, what's the point to this? They are the ones more likely affected if affected by the typhoon since they do not have enough coping mechanisms,” Posadas explained.
Classes suspended Ahead of its landfall, Ompong forced the suspension of classes in 662 cities and municipalities in Ilocos Region, Cagayan Valley, Calabarzon (Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal, and Quezon), Mimaropa (Mindoro Occidental and Oriental, Marinduque, Romblon, and Palawan) Bicol Region, Western Visayas, Central Visayas, and the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR). A total of 447 cities and municipalities in those areas declared suspension of classes on Friday.
Stranded sea passengers
Authorities said at least 4,000 passengers were stranded in seaports around the country while 637 cargoes, 46 sea vessels, and 36 motor bancas were grounded in several ports in Manila, Subic, Bataan, Pasig, Cavite, Antique, Aklan, Camarines Norte and Camarines Sur, Albay, Sorsogon, Catanduanes, Southern Leyte, Northern Samar, Negros Oriental and Negros Occidental, Siquijor, Batangas, Oriental Mindoro and Occidental Mindoro, Romblon, and Southern and Northern Quezon. Cancelled flights A total of 22 domestic flights were also cancelled by airport authorities due to the bad weather, according to Posadas.
Signal 4
With Ompong maintaining its ferocious strength while moving closer to land, storm warning signals were raised by PAGASA over a vast area.
Cagayan and Northern Isabela are now under storm signal No. 4. Winds of greater than 171 kph up to 220 kph may be expected in at least 12 hours in these areas.
Signal 3
Signal No. 3 is now up over Babuyan Group of Islands, Southern Isabela, IlocosNorte, Ilocos Sur, Apayao, Abra, Kalinga, Mountain Province, Benguet, Ifugao, Nueva Vizcaya, Quirino, and Northern Aurora. These areas will experience winds of greater than 121 to 170 kilometers per hour in at least 18 hours. Residents in these areas were also advised to seek shelter in strong buildings, evacuate low-lying areas, and to stay away from the coasts and river banks as the disturbance is dangerous to the communities threatened.
Signal 2
Placed under storm signal No. 2 were Batanes, La Union, Pangasinan, Tarlac, Nueva Ecija, Southern Aurora, and Northern Zambales. Areas under this storm signal may experience winds of greater than 60 kilometers per hour and up to 100 kilometers per hour in at least 24 hours.
Signal 1
Meanwhile, signal No. 1 was raised in Metro Manila, Southern Zambales, Pampanga, Bulacan, Bataan, Rizal, Cavite, Batangas, Laguna, Quezon including Polillo Island, Northern Occidental Mindoro including Lubang Island, Northern Oriental Mindoro, Masbate, Marinduque, CamarinesNorte, Camarines Sur, Catanduanes, Albay, Sorsogon, Burias and Ticao Islands, and Northern Samar. Winds of 30 to 60 kilometers per hour are expected within these areas in 36 hours.
Occasional rains and gusty winds will also be experienced over the areas under signal No. 1, while a stormy weather is expected over areas under signal Nos. 2 and 3.
In its 5 p.m. weather bulletin, PAGASA said the eye of Ompong was spotted 340 kilometers east of Baler, Aurora, and is now moving northwest at a slightly faster pace of 30 kilometers per hour, from 25 kph 3 hours earlier.
Ompong continues to maintain its strength with maximum sustained winds of 205 kph and gustiness of up to 255 kph.
PAGASA Assistant Weather Services Chief Renito Paciente said Ompong's current intensity is possibly at its peak already and it may not reach the previous predicted peak intensity of 220 kph wind strength and gust of 270 kph.
While it may not reach the supertyphoon category, Ompong’s effect is still threatening and may pose dangers to the public.
“It doesn't really matter if Ompong will be a super typhoon or not because this typhoon is really strong. Residents should already take precautionary measures and those living along coastal areas should evacuate now,” Department of Science and Technology Undersecretary for Disaster Risk Reduction and Climate Change Dr. Renato Solidum Jr. said in a press briefing Friday night.
Meanwhile, Ompong continues to enhance the southwest monsoon or “habagat” that will bring gusty winds with occasional moderate to heavy rains over Visayas.
The enhanced habagat is also expected to bring scattered light to moderate to at times heavy rains over Palawan, Zamboanga Peninsula, Northern Mindanao, and Caraga. (With reports from Niño Luces, Lyka Manalo, and AP)