NEGROS Occidental Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson Thursday, November 28, issued an order to all disaster risk reduction management offices (DRRMO) in the province to go on “Blue Alert” Friday due to the threat of a typhoon outside the country.
Based on the order signed by Lacson and released by Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office head, Dr. Zeaphard Caelian, Typhoon Kammuri is expected to enter the country on Sunday morning and will be given the local name “Tisoy.” Latest forecast suggests the storm is threatening the Northern Luzon area.
The provincial officials warned the typhoon may still affect the province bringing light to at times heavy rains and thunderstorms and advised the public to monitor the weather advisories of the Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa). Lacson stated in his order that all DRRMOs in the province are advised to heighten their preparedness, initiate pro-active measures, and take appropriate precautionary actions for possible flooding, or landslides.
He also ordered the local government units to review their contingency plans and mitigate possible risk in their respective areas. Based on PAGASA’s weather bulletin issued at 11 a.m. Thursday, Kammuri was last spotted 1,430 kilometers east of Visayas with maximum sustained winds at 120 kilometers per hour (kph) and gusts at 150 kph.
The storm is moving slowly to the west northwest at 10 kph. Pagasa suggests the storm is expected to impact the northern part of Luzon, however, other weather agencies such as the Japan Meteorological Agency and the US Navy Joint Typhoon Warning Center in Guam forecast the storm hitting the Bicol region or Central Luzon area. Kammuri is also threatening the Southeast Asian Games which will begin tomorrow in New Clark City in Tarlac.