‘Bising’ hits Bicol, thousands flee
THOUSANDS fled their homes as Typhoon “Bising” (international name Surigae) brought widespread flooding in Bicol and Eastern Visayas, the country’s disaster council reported on Monday.
The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) said 18,467 families made up of 68,490 individuals were evacuated even before “Bising” struck.
The agency did not have a breakdown of evacuees from the two regions.
The second typhoon to hit the country this year did not come ashore, but it brought torrential rain.
The NDRRMC reported 22 flooding incidents in the towns of Can-avid and Jipadpad in Eastern Samar on Sunday.
Floodwaters in 11 barangays in Can-avid reached as high as 3 feet. In Jipadpad, 11 villages had floods of up to 4 feet.
Two road sections and a bridge in Naval, Biliran, Taft and Arteche towns were overwhelmed by floodwaters.
The NDRRMC also said 2,213 passengers, 896 rolling cargoes and 61 vessels were stranded in several ports in Bicol, Central Visayas and Eastern Visayas after sea travel was disrupted by “Bising.”
Flights to Cebu, Caticlan in Aklan, Manila and Panglao in Bohol were grounded. In Tacloban City, all work was suspended on Monday.
The National Grid Corp. of the Philippines (NGCP) said some power lines were downed by “Bising’s” winds.
The NGCP said the 69 kiloVolt (kV) Palanas Cara-Catarman-Allen-Lao-ang Line, 69 kV Calbayog-Bliss Line, 69 kV Paranas-Quinapondan Line and 69 kV Babatngon-Arado Line were off the grid.
The 69 kV Nasaug-San Isidro line was partially energized on Monday, it said.
It added it has mobilized line crews and “is currently conducting ground patrols to inspect and assess the impact of the typhoon to its operations and facilities, and simultaneous restoration activities are being conducted on the areas already accessible.”
The Department of Agriculture estimated the typhoon might affect 248,882 hectares of ricelands and 9,629 hectares of cornfields.
The typhoon maintained strength on Monday, moving north-northwestward over the Philippine Sea. The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) forecast the typhoon could gradually weaken as it leaves the Philippine Area of Responsibility.
It is expected to keep the same track until Wednesday night or Thursday morning.
The typhoon was last spotted 235 kilometers east northeast of Virac, Catanduanes, packing 195 kilometer-per-hour (kph) winds, gusting to 240 kph.
Many areas in Bicol and Samar were still under Signal No. 2 on Monday.
In Luzon, Signal No. 2 was up over Catanduanes, the eastern portion of Camarines Sur (Garchitorena, Presentacion, Caramoan, Sagnay, San Jose and Lagonoy); the eastern portion of Albay (Tiwi, Malinao, Tabaco City, Malilipot, Santo Domingo, Bacacay, Rapu-Rapu, Legazpi City and Manito); and the eastern and central portions of Sorsogon (Castilla, Sorsogon City, Prieto Diaz, Gubat, Barcelona, Casiguran, Juban, Magallanes, Bulan, Bulusan, Irosin, Santa Magdalena and Matnog).
In the Visayas, the same storm signal remained over Northern Samar, Samar, Eastern Samar and Biliran.
Signal No. 1 was up over the southeastern portion of Cagayan (Baggao and Peñablanca); the eastern portion of Isabela (San Pablo, Maconacon, Tumauini, Divilacan, Ilagan City, Palanan, San Mariano, Dinapigue, San Guillermo, Echague, Benito Soliven, Cabagan, Gamu, Naguilian, Reina Mercedes, Angadanan, Cauayan City, Jones and San Agustin); the northeastern portion of Quirino (Aglipay and Maddela); the northern portion of Aurora ((Dilasag, Casiguran and Dinalungan); the eastern portion of Quezon (Calauag, Guinayangan, Tagkawayan, Buenavista, San Narciso and San Andres) including Polillo Islands, Camarines Norte, the rest of Camarines Sur; the rest of Albay; the rest of Sorsogon and Masbate including Burias and Ticao Islands in Luzon.
Visayas areas under Signal No. 1 are Leyte, Southern Leyte and the northern portion of Cebu (Tabogon, Borbon, San Remigio, Bogo City, Medellin and Daanbantayan) including Bantayan and Camotes Islands.
In Mindanao, Signal No. 1 was raised over Dinagat Islands, Siargao Islands and Bucas Grande Islands.
Pagasa said Bicol, Northern Samar, Samar, Eastern Samar, Biliran and the northern portion of Leyte will have moderate to heavy rains.
Light to moderate with at times heavy rains are expected in the northern portion of Aurora and the eastern portions of mainland Cagayan and Isabela.