4 regions affected by Typhoon Betty

MORE than 11,200 families were affected by Typhoon Betty (international name: Mawar) in four regions in the country, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) said on Tuesday, May 30, 2023.

In a situational report, the NDRRMC said a total of 2,859 families or 11,264 individuals were affected by the typhoon particularly in 55 barangays in Cagayan Valley, Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR), Western Visayas and Central Luzon.

It said 877 families or 3,483 persons were inside evacuation centers, while 112 families or 381 individuals were temporarily staying either with friends or relatives.

The disaster bureau said three road sections in CAR were impassable, but debris had been cleared as of Tuesday. Three power interruptions also occurred in CAR.

In Western Visayas, flooding was recorded, while 222 passengers and 122 rolling cargoes were stranded in Eastern Visayas sea ports.

Flights

The NDRRMC said 104 domestic and 17 international flights to and from typhoon-affected areas were canceled due to bad weather.

The NDRRMC said a total of P1,897,764 worth of food and nonfood relief items were distributed to the affected population.

In its 11 a.m. Tuesday update, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) said Betty has maintained its strength as it hovered west northwestward over the sea east of Batanes.

The center of the typhoon was spotted at 315 kilometers east of Basco, Batanes with maximum sustained winds of 150 kilometers per hour (km/h), gusts of up to 185 km/h, and central pressure of 955 hPa. It was moving west northwestward at 10 km/h.

Warning signal

Tropical Cyclone Warning Signal (TCWS) Number 2 was hoisted over Batanes and the northeastern portion of Cagayan (Santa Ana, Gonzaga) including Babuyan Islands.

Under TCWS Number 1 were the rest of mainland Cagayan, the northern and eastern portions of Isabela (Santo Tomas, Santa Maria, Quezon, San Mariano, Dinapigue, Delfin Albano, San Pablo, Ilagan City, Benito Soliven, Tumauini, Cabagan, Palanan, Quirino, Divilacan, Gamu, Maconacon, Naguilian, Mallig), the eastern portion of Ilocos Norte (Piddig, Bangui, Vintar, Marcos, Pagudpud, Banna, Adams, Carasi, Dingras, Solsona, Dumalneg, Nueva Era), Apayao, the northern portion of Kalinga (City of Tabuk, Balbalan, Pinukpuk, Rizal), and the northeastern portion of Abra (Tineg, Lacub, Malibcong).

The weather disturbance is expected to exit the Philippine area of responsibility late Thursday (June 1) or early morning Friday (June 2).