‘Tisoy’ slams into Bicol, thousands evacuated
TYPHOON “Tisoy” ( international name: “Kammuri”) was expected to slam into Bicol today, December 3, and cross Luzon, packing powerful winds and threatening to bring heavy rains to a wide swathe of the country.
The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) forecast the typhoon to make landfall in Albay or Catanduanes.
Thousands have been evacuated in Bicol ahead of the onslaught of Tisoy, which hit as the country was hosting the 30th Southeast Asian Games.
Scores of travelers were stranded at ports as sea travel was suspended, and classes have also been suspended in the affected areas.
On Monday afternoon, Pagasa tracked Tisoy at 195 kilometers east of Juban, Sorsogon. It was moving west at 20 kilometers per hour (kph).
It had maximum sustained winds of up to 150 kph, gusting to 185 kph.
Storm signals were raised over a wide area of Luzon and the Visayas.
Signal 3 was up in Catanduanes, Camarines Sur, Albay, Sorsogon, the southern portion of Camarines Norte (Daet, San Vincente, San Lorenzon Ruiz, Basud and Mercedes), Masbate including Ticao and Burias Islands, Romblon, the southern portion of Quezon (Mulanay, San Narciso, San Francisco and San Andres), Northern Samar, the northern portion of Eastern Samar (Can-avid, Dolores, Maslog, Oras, Arteche, Jipapad and San Policarpio), and the northern portion of Samar ( Catbalogan, Jiabong, Motiong, Paranas, San Jose de Buan, San Jorge, Pagsanghan, Tarangnan, Sta. Margarita, Gandara, Matuguinao, Calbayog, Tagapul-an,
Almagro and Sto. Niño).
Signal 2 was raised in Metro Manila, Bulacan, Bataan, Tarlac, Pampanga, Nueva Ecija, southern Aurora (Dipaculao, Maria Aurora, Baler, San Luis and Dingalan), Cavite, Batangas, Laguna, Rizal, the rest of Quezon including Polillo Islands, Oriental Mindoro, Occidental Mindoro, Marinduque, the rest of Camarines Norte, Calamian Islands, the southern portion of Zambales (San Marcelino, San Antonio, Castillejos, Subic and Olongapo), the rest of Eastern Samar and Samar, Biliran, Aklan, Capiz, the northern portion of Antique (Valderrama, Bugasong, Laua-an, Barbaza, Tibiao, Culasi, Sebaste and Pandan Libertad), the northern portion of
Iloilo ( Janiuay, Badiangan, Pototan, Barotac Nuevo, Anilao, Dingle, Dueñas, Lambunao, Calinog, Passi, San Enrique, Banate, Barotac Viejo, San Rafael, Bingawan, Lemery, Ajuy, Sara, Concepcion, San Dionisio, Batad, Estancia, Balasan and Carles), the northern portion of Negros Occidental (Talisay, Calatrava, Silay, Enrique B. Magalona, Victorias, Manapla, Cadiz, Sagay, Escalante and Toboso), Northern Cebu (Daanbantayan, Bantayan, Madridejos, Santa Fe, Medellin, Bogo City, San Remigio, Tabogon, Tabuelan, Tuburan, Carmen Borbon, Sogod, Catmon, Asturias and Camotes Islands) and the northern portion of Leyte (Baybay, Mahaplag, Abuyog, Javier, Macarthur, Mayorga, La Paz, Dulag, Albuera, barauen, Julita, Tolosa, Tanauan, Tabontabon, Dagami, Pastrana, Palo, Sta. Fe, Tacloban, Alangalang, Jaro, Babatngon, San Miguel,
Barugo, Tunga, Carigara, Capoocan, Leyte, Calubian, San Isidro, Tabango, Villaba, Kananga, Matag-ob, Palompon, Isabel, Merida and Ormoc).
Signal 1 is up in Southern Isabela (Palanan, Dinapique, San Mariano, San Guillermo, Benito Soliven, Naguilian, Reina Mercedes, Luna, Aurora, Cabatuan, San Mateo, Cauayan City, Alicia, Angadanan, Ramon, San Isidro, Echague, Cordon, Santiago City, Jones and San Agustin), Mountain Province, Ifugao, Benguet, Nueva Vizcaya, Ilocos Sur, La Union, Pangasinan, Quirino, the rest of Aurora, Zambales, Antique, Iloilo, Guimaras, Negros Occidental, Metro Cebu (Balamban, Toledo City, Pinamungahan, Aloguinsan, Naga City, Talisay City, Cordova, Minglanilla, Lapu-Lapu City, Mandaue City, Cebu City, Consolacion, Liloan, Compostela and Danao City), the rest Leyte, Southern Leyte, Dinagat Islands and Siargao Island.
Government disaster response agencies were standing by, according to Palace spokesman Salvador Panelo.
Panelo said the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council Operation Center was on “blue alert” in anticipation of Tisoy’s onslaught.
The Department of Social Welfare and Development has prepositioned stockpiles of relief goods, he added.
Nearly 60,000 residents in Bicol have evacuated from their homes, based on (OCD) in Bicol.
The OCD said 16,910 persons were in Albay, 5,985 in Camarines Norte, 26,278 in Camarines Sur, 5,172 in Catanduanes, 222 in Masbate and 2,527 in Sorsogon.