TWO persons were confirmed dead due to Tropical Storm Falcon (Danas), which made landfall in Gattaran, Cagayan around 12:30 a.m. Wednesday, July 17.
The Cagayan Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (PDRRMO) reported that a man from Abulug town and another from Gattaran died due to drowning during the onslaught of Falcon.
Falcon battered Cagayan with strong winds and heavy rainfall when it made landfall Wednesday.
The provinces of Apayao, Batanes and Cagayan including Babuyan Group of Islands were placed under Tropical Cyclone Warning Signal (TCWS) Number 2 Wednesday, while TCWS Number 1 was raised in the provinces of Ilocos Norte, Abra, Kalinga, Isabela, Mountain Province, Ifugao, northern portion of Aurora, northern portion of Nueva Vizcaya ad Quirino.
The TCWS raised over the said areas were lifted Thursday morning, July 18, as Falcon continues to move north and may exit the Philippine area of responsibility Friday, July 19.
But the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) said moderate to heavy rains will still be experienced in areas in extreme northern Luzon, while light to heavy rains will be experienced over Metro Manila and the rest of Luzon.
As of 10 a.m. Thursday, July 18, Pagasa said the center of Falcon was located at 385 kilometers north northeast of Basco, Batanes, packing maximum winds of up to 75 kilometers per hour (km/h) near the center and gusts of up to 90 km/h. It is moving north at 20 km/h.
Meanwhile, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) said 3,203 families were evacuated in various municipalities in Lanao del Norte due to flooding caused by monsoon rains and enhanced by Falcon.
In Cagayan and Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR), 87 families or 391 persons were affected by Falcon. Of which, 18 families or 86 persons were evacuated.
The NDRRMC said the Department of Social Welfare and Development has assured assistance to the affected families and the distribution of relief items.
The NDRRMC said nine road sections and three bridges were reported not passable in Cagayan and CAR due to the effects of the weather disturbance.
It said a total of 72 passengers in ports of Central and Western Visayas and Bicol were stranded due to bad weather, while several domestic flights were cancelled.
The NDRRMC has also recorded 21 areas in Bicol region and Western Visayas that have been flooded. (SunStar Philippines)