Urduja spawns floods, landslides in Visayas
From blue, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management (NDRRMC) has raised its disaster alert level to red over a wide area of Eastern and Western Visayas due to widespread flooding and several landslides as Tropical Storm Urduja continues to dump heavy rains.
Ricardo Jalad, NDRRMC administrator and Office of Civil Defense (OCD) executive director, said the status upgrade is needed to hasten the monitoring and coordination with regional disaster risk reduction management councils.
In Eastern Samar, the towns of Guiuan, Guinapondan, Balangiga, Giporlos and San Juan reported flooding.
A similar report also came from at least 18 barangays in Sigma and Mambusao towns in Capiz.
A dike in Naujan, Oriental Mindoro was reported to have collapsed, flooding Barangay Evangelista and causing the isolation of Barangays Paitan, Metolza and Magtibay. Several houses were destroyed and at least nine families were displaced.
Landslides were also reported in Barangay Mountainside, Tacloban City and in San Julian town, Eastern Samar.
The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) recorded more than 9,000 passengers stranded in different ports in the country yesterday.
It added that 670 rolling cargoes, 37 vessels and 24 motorized boats were prevented from leaving the ports of Bicol, the Visayas and the National Capital Region.
Ships were also prevented from leaving the seaports in Nasipit and Surigao.
It plans to ask the Department of Transportation to request bus companies to suspend trips to the ports of Matnog in Sorsogon and Allen in Samar to lessen the number of stranded passengers, and for shipping companies to inform passengers of cancellations.
The OCD in Bicol reported that the line of vehicles going to Matnog port reached three kilometers.
In Manila, at least 16 flights to and from Tacloban, Legaspi and Siargao were cancelled, the Manila International Airport Authority said.
As of yesterday, Urduja (international name Kai-tak) was monitored to be almost stationary off the coast of Eastern Samar, moving northwest at only five kilometers per hour. It is expected to make landfall between Northern and Eastern Samar today. –