ONE person in Can-avid town was injured by flying debris while a municipal covered court in Maslog collapsed as Typhoon Ambo (Vongfong) whipped through Eastern Samar province and the rest of Samar Island Thursday afternoon, May 14.
Eastern Samar Governor Ben Evardone, in a post on his Facebook account, electricity was cut off in the entire province at the height of the typhoon.
Power was restored in some parts of the province Thursday evening. Restoration work was ongoing early Friday morning in the northern part, according to the Eastern Samar Electric Cooperative.
Evardone also said telecommunications services were cut off in five towns, namely, Dolores, Oras, San Policarpo, Arteche and Jipapad.
Two persons who were reported missing have been found, the governor added.
Houses that were made of light materials and infrastructure facilities were damaged while hundreds of families were housed in evacuation centers in Arteche, Taft, and San Policarpo.
The typhoon further weakened after it made its fifth landfall at 3 a.m. Friday, May 15, on Burias Island in Masbate, according to the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa).
The typhoon earlier made landfall in the following areas: San Policarpo, Eastern Samar, 12:15 p.m. Thursday; Dalupiri Island, Northern Samar, 10:15 p.m. Thursday; Capul Island, Northern Samar, 10:30 p.m. Thursday; and Ticao Island, Masbate, 12:00 a.m. Friday.
As of 4 a.m. Friday, the state weather bureau said the typhoon was in the vicinity of Claveria, Masbate. It was packing winds of up to 125 kilometers per hour (kph) near the center and gusts of up to 165 kph.
It was still moving northwestward at 15 kph and is forecast to move toward the Ragay Gulf before making landfall over the Bondoc Peninsula in southern Quezon province in Calabarzon Friday morning.
Pagasa said there will be moderate to heavy with at times intense rains over Bicol Region, Quezon, Aurora, and Marinduque Friday morning.
In the next 24 hours, storm surge of up to 2 meters may be experienced in the coastal areas of Bicol Region, Quezon, and Aurora.
Sea travel remained risky for all types of seacraft in all areas placed under a Tropical Cyclone Wind Signal (TCWS).
As of the 5 a.m. advisory of Pagasa, the following are under TCWS Number 3:
Sorsogon, Albay, Northern Masbate (Aroroy, Mandaon, Milagros, Baleno, Masbate City, Mobo, Uson) including Ticao and Burias Islands, Camarines Norte, the western portion of Camarines Sur (Del Gallego, Ragay, Lupi, Sipocot, Libmanan, Cabusao, Pasacao, Pamplona, Gainza, Camaligan, Canaman, Magarao, Bombon, Calabanga, Tinambac, Siruma, Goa, Naga City, Milaor, San Fernando, Minalabac, Pili, Ocampo, Tigaon, Sagñay, Buhi, Iriga City, Baao, Bula, Balatan, Nabua, Bato), and the southern portion of Quezon (Pagbilao, Atimonan, Padre Burgos, Agdangan, Plaridel, Unisan, Gumaca, Pitogo, Perez, Alabat, Quezon, Tagkawayan, Calauag, Lopez, Macalelon, General Luna, Catanauan, Buenavista, Guinayangan, Mulanay, San Narciso, San Andres, San Francisco)
These areas will experience strong to destructive typhoon-force winds during the passage of the typhoon.
Pagasa has hoisted TCWS Number 2 over the following:
Nueva Vizcaya, Quirino, Aurora, Nueva Ecija, Tarlac, Pampanga, Bulacan, Metro Manila, Rizal, Laguna, Cavite, Batangas, the rest of Quezon, the rest of Masbate, the rest of Camarines Sur, Catanduanes, and the eastern portion of Romblon (Banton, Corcuera, Calatrava, San Agustin, Romblon, Magdiwang, San Fernando, Cajidiocan) The western portion of Northern Samar (San Vicente, Capul, San Antonio, Allen, Victoria, San Isidro, Biri, Lavezares, Rosario, San Jose)
These areas will experience strong to damaging gale/storm-force winds.
The following are under TCWS Number 1:
Cagayan including Babuyan Islands, Isabela, Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, La Union, Pangasinan, Apayao, Kalinga, Abra, Mountain Province, Ifugao, Benguet, Zambales, Bataan, Oriental Mindoro, and the rest of Romblon. The rest of Northern Samar, the extreme northern portion of Eastern Samar (Jipapad, Arteche, Maslog), the northern portion of Samar (Calbayog City, Tagapul-an, Almagro, Sto. Niño. Tarangnan, Sta. Margarita, Gandara, Pagsanghan, San Jorge, San Jose de Buan, Matuguinao), Biliran, the extreme northwestern portion of Leyte (Calubian, San Isidro), the extreme northeastern portion of Capiz (Pilar, Panay, Roxas, Ivisan), and the northeastern portion of Iloilo (Carles, Balasan, Estancia, Batad)
Strong to near gale-force winds will be experienced in these areas. (MVI/SunStar Philippines)