'Pedring' death toll now 9

Tuesday, September 27, 2011

MANILA (5th Update, 7:34 p.m.) -- Nine people were killed as Typhoon "Pedring" (international codename: Nesat) pounded Metro Manila and nearby areas with strong winds and monsoon rains, disaster officials said.

As of 6:20 p.m., the National Disaster and Risk Reduction Management Council (NDRRMC) recorded two deaths in Maguindanao, one in Caloocan, one in Catanduanes, one in Ilocos Norte and four in Valenzuela.

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Pedring was estimated at 5 p.m. Tuesday to be 70 kilometers northwest of Baguio City with maximum sustained winds of 120 kilometers per hour (kph) and gustiness of up to 150 kph.

It is moving northwest at 19 kph.

The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services (Pagasa) said the weather disturbance is expected to be 450 kilometers west northwest of Baguio City by Wednesday afternoon.

Areas in signal number 3 are: Ilocos Sur, La Union, Benguet and Pangasinan.

In signal number 2 are: Ilocos Norte, Abra, Apayao, Kalinga, Mt. Province, Ifugao, Nueva Vizcaya, Nueva Ecija, Tarlac and Zambales.

Babuyan, Cagayan, including Babuyan and Calayan group of islands, Isabela, Quirino, Aurora, Quirino, Bulacan, Pampanga, Bataan and Metro Manila are still under signal number 1.

Department of Science and Technology (DOST) Undersecretary Graciano Yumul Jr., also the Pagasa acting chief, said Pedring might exit the Philippines Wednesday afternoon, but rains will continue over Southern Luzon and Visayas as the typhoon is expected to enhance the southwest monsoon.

The storm also forced the closure of all government agencies except those involved in disaster mitigation efforts.

Sessions in both houses of Congress and the Philippine Stock Exchange (PSE) were cancelled Tuesday due to the storm, which even submerged part of United States Embassy due to waters that crossed the area.

Pagasa said the high waves noted along Roxas Boulevard are swells that are generated by continuous push of strong winds.

Operations in Manila’s three railway systems were also scuttled (Light Rail Transit 1 and 2 and Metro Rail Transit-3) and Cebu Pacific had to call off 12 flights going to Laoag, Tuguegarao and Caticlan due to the inclement weather.

Some 1,355 families or 6,112 persons were also affected in 12 municipalities and five provinces in Cagayan Valley, Central Luzon, Calabarzon (Cavite-Laguna-Batangas-Rizal-Quezon) and Bicol, the NDRRMC said in a report.

Of this number, 635 families representing 2,771 individuals were provided relief inside and outside evacuation centers.

The province of Albay, where the public storm signal was already lifted, conducted pre-emptive evacuation to a total of 21,547 families or 111,930 persons.

The NDRRMC also reported Tuesday landslides in Catanduanes and Camarines Sur; tornado in Maconacon, Isabela; and power outage in Central and Northern Aurora, Northern Luzon, some areas in Calabarzon and Metro Manila.

The Manila Electric Co. (Meralco), the country’s largest power distributor, implemented emergency power interruptions in 50 percent of its franchise area, which include Cavite, Quezon City, Makati City and Muntinlupa City.

“We still cannot say as how long the outages will take as the weather is still raging. We are doing the best we can to restore power as soon as possible. Please bear with us,” Meralco said in its official Twitter account.

Yumul in a press briefing Tuesday afternoon said, however, that as soon as winds brought by Pedring weaken, power supply will be resumed.

He said classes in Metro Manila on Wednesday might not also be suspended as light rains are noted as of Tuesday afternoon. The winds, however, are still strong, he added.

The typhoon’s estimated rainfall amount is from 15 to 25 millimeters per hour within its 650 kilometers diameter.

Pagasa officials said they will continue to monitor Pedring’s movement as it continues to move away from the country.

“Pedring’s interaction with the Sierra Madre (mountain range) obviously had an effect on its strength. But it has still maintained its classification as a typhoon, so we really have to keep a close eye on this weather disturbance,” Pagasa weather division chief Robert Sawi told Sun.Star. (Virgil Lopez/Sunnex)