Storm Auring displaces almost 50,000 people, but weakened before landfall Monday
MORE than 13,000 families were evacuated in the southern Philippine island of Mindanao over the weekend as storm Auring, with international name Dujuan, dumped rains that caused flooding and landslides, the national disaster management agency reported Monday. Auring, however, weakened into a tropical depression before making landfall Monday morning in the small island of Batag in the central-eastern part of the country, according to the national weather bureau. The storm further dissipated into a low pressure area by the afternoon. The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council, in its report as of Feb. 22, said 12,825 families composed of almost 50,000 individuals were staying in 308 evacuation centers in the regions of Northern Mindanao, Davao, and Caraga. Another 450 families are taking temporary shelter at relatives or friends’ homes. The council also recorded 16,059 families composed of over 59,000 people who were preemptively evacuated in the regions of Central and Eastern Visayas, Northern Mindanao, and Caraga. Initial assessment recorded 138 affected houses, all within the provinces of Surigao del Norte and Surigao del Sur, with 135 partially damaged and three totally destroyed.
PORTS
At least 40 domestic flights were canceled from Feb. 19-22, while almost 3,000 passengers in various seaports were stranded as of Sunday. The Philippine Coast Guard has lifted most of the “no-sail” notices as of Monday afternoon. The Department of Public Works and Highways reported two national road sections that were still not passable as of Monday. These were the Hubo Bridge stretch in Tandag City, and the K0014+600 section of the Dinagat–Loreto Road in Dinagat Island. Several other segments of national and local highways were blocked due to fallen trees and landslides, but these were already passable after clearing operations by emergency teams. Weather agency PAGASA said moderate to heavy with at times intense rains were still expected on Monday over Bicol Region, and the provinces of Quezon, Marinduque, and Romblon. Light to moderate with at times heavy rains over Aurora, Rizal, Laguna, Northern Samar, and the rest of Mimaropa was also anticipated. By Tuesday, rains are still expected over Camariñes Norte and Camariñes Sur, Quezon, Aurora, Metro Manila, the rest of Calabarzon and Mimaropa Regions, Bulacan, Nueva Ecija, Isabela, Cagayan including Babuyan Islands, and Batanes.