‘Dodong’ turns catastrophic
220-kph winds before landfall raises Signal No. 4 in four N. Luzon provinces
Typhoon “Dodong” (international name “Noul”) intensified with catastrophic strength to 185-kilometers per hour (kph) winds near the center and gusts of up to 220 kph, just hours before making landfall at Pananapan Point in Sta. Ana, Cagayan, at 4:45 p.m. yesterday.
Earlier at midday when the typhoon intensified at 140 km east-southeast of Tuguegarao City, Cagayan, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) already raised Public Storm Warning Signal No. 4 in four areas in extreme Northern Luzon.
Before Sunday noon, Signal No. 4 has been raised over northeastern Cagayan, Batanes, Babuyan and Calayan Group of Islands and Signal No. 3 over the rest of Cagayan and Isabela.
Areas under Signal No. 2 were northern Aurora, Kalinga, Mt. Prov-
ince, Ifugao and Apayao.
Signal No. 1 was hoisted over the rest of Aurora, Abra, Ilocos Sur, Ilocos Norte and Quirino. Elsewhere, storm warning signals have been lifted.
Cagayan landfall expected From a west-northwest track, Dodong was moving north-northwest at 17 kph.
While weaker than super-typhoon Yolanda’s 230 kph maximum sustained winds and 315-kph gusty winds, Dodong was dubbed as a “catastrophic storm” by the Weather Philippines Foundation (WPF) in its website www.weather.com.ph
PAGASA said areas within the 150-km diameter of the typhoon should expect heavy to intense rains.
It warned residents in low-lying and mountainous areas of the provinces with storm warning signals against possible flash floods and landslides, while storm surges of up to 2 meters are possible over Gonzaga and Sta. Ana Cagayan.
Fishermen were advised not to venture out over the eastern seaboard of Southern Luzon due to big waves generated by the typhoon.
DSWD on alert With this, Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD)-Field Office in Region 2 remained on alert with members of its quick response team ready to be deployed to assist local government units in disaster operations and management of evacuation centers.
It has an available 26,729 family food packs. Of this, 16,685 packs have already been prepositioned to the provinces of Cagayan, Isabela, Quirino and Nueva Vizcaya.
To replenish the level of its stockpile of goods, the DSWD-Field Office continued to repack family food packs using available resources that include 2,373 sacks of NFA rice and 2,021 boxes of assorted canned goods.
Storm surge may reach 1.5m Earlier, PAGASA warned that storm surges of up to 1.5 meters are possible over the eastern coast of Isabela and Cagayan.
It said Dodong is expected to leave the Philippine area of responsibility by Tuesday.
By Monday morning, it will be at 190 km northeast of Basco, Batanes and 900 km northeast of Basco, Batanes by Tuesday morning.
1,000 evacuated
The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) said more than 1,000 people were preemptively evacuated in Isabela prior to yesterday afternoon’s landfall.
To ensure the safety of residents, particularly those living in low-lying, landslide-prone, and coastal areas, authorities have undertaken preemptive evacuation.
Data released by the NDRRMC showed that 897 people were preemptively evacuated in the coastal municipalities of Divilacan, Maconacon, Dinapigue, Palanan - all in Isabela province.
In Benito Soliven town, a landslideprone area in Isabela, 198 persons were also forced to temporarily seek shelter in a designated evacuation center.
Maritime measures
Meanwhile, the NDRRMC said at least 5,179 passengers and 17 vessels are stranded in various seaports in the country due to rough seas caused by typhoon “Dodong”.
However, the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) said the advance warning for ship passengers and vessels on Dodong has reduced accidents at sea as well as the number of stranded of passengers in affected ports.
A report from the PCG showed that the number of those stranded due to the typhoon went down to 625 as of 8 a.m. There was only one vessel and 266 rolling cargoes stuck yesterday in Eastern Visayas and Bicol, it said.
The number was a decrease from 10,200 passengers, 33 vessels and 1,051 rolling cargoes that were stranded in the two regions, including Southern Tagalog last May 9.
But a day after, PCG recorded zero stranded passengers and ships in Southern Tagalog.
The ports that remain affected by the typhoon are Real, Polilio, Talao-Talao, Balanacan, Atimonan and Salome in Bicol while the rest are Balwhartico, Dapdap and San Jose in Eastern Visayas.
No maritime incidents caused by Dodong have been reported.
Soldiers on standby
Gen. Gregorio Pio P. Catapang, Jr., Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Chief of Staff, has directed all military units in areas expected to be affected by Dodong to closely coordinate with local officials and civilian government agencies for possible preemptive evacuation or residents.
Catapang gave the directed in view of possible storm surges that may occur when Dodong makes landfall.
As of 1 p.m. Sunday, the military said that in Sta. Ana and Gonzaga Cagayan, troops of the 17th Infantry Battalion, Naval Forces Northern Luzon, Sta. Ana and Gonzaga police together with local officials were in the process of conducting preemptive evacuation in some coastal villages.
One company of troops from 17IB were in the areas of Sta. Ana and Gonzaga while two standby Disaster Response Task Units (DRTU) are in the Battalion headquarters in Alcala town.
Two DRTUs from the navy are also on standby at Navy Base Camilo Osias in Sta. Ana, Cagayan.
The PNP in Sta. Ana and Gonzaga are also on standby. (With a report from Raymund F. Antonio)