After days of heavy rains and howling winds, the sun finally beamed on areas that bore the wrath of Typhoon Lando (international name: Koppu).
The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC), however, said on Tuesday that this does not mean that the worst is over.
Retired vice admiral Alexander Pama, executive director of the NDRRMC, warned residents of storm-hit areas in Northern Luzon and Central Luzon to brace for possible flooding from rainwater that is expected to cascade from the mountains.
Pama said the heavy rain dumped by the typhoon went to dams like Binga, Ambuklao and San Roque but a huge volume is expected to flow into rivers and may inundate low-lying areas.
“That’s why we keep on saying that until now, we’re still warning people living near river banks of the possibility of flash floods,” he added in Filipino.
A total of 30 people were killed while 36 others were wounded and three reported missing due to the onslaught of typhoon Lando in several areas of Luzon, separate reports from regional offices of the Philippine National Police (PNP) and Office of the Civil Defense (OCD), show.
Weather outlook
Tropical storm Lando has slightly weakened as it continues its slow approach to Calayan and Babuyan group of islands in Batanes, the state weather bureau, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa), said.
Pagasa added it recorded the highest rainfall in Baguio City, bringing to almost twice Benguet’s usual rainfall in October.
Senior weather forecaster Chris Perez said Baguio City received almost two months worth of normal rainfall within just 20 hours, from 8 a.m. October 19 to 4 a.m. October 20, with 737 millimeters.
“Lando brought heavy to intense rains in Benguet, which normally receives 454.3 millimeters of rainfall in October,” Perez added.
As of 4 p.m. on Tuesday, the typhoon’s eye was estimated at 90 kilometers west of Calayan (Cagayan), packing maximum sustained winds of 75 kilometers per hour near the center and gustiness of up to 90 kph.
Lando is forecast to move northeast at 4 kph and will exit the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR) on Sunday afternoon or at 520 kilometers north-northeast of Itbayat (Batanes).
Pagasa said fisherfolk are still advised not to venture out over seaboards of Luzon because strong to gale-force winds are expected to affect the seaboards of Luzon and Visayas.
Estimated amount of rainfall is moderate to heavy to at times intense within the 650 km diameter of the tropical storm.
Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, Apayao, Abra, Batanes and Northern Cagayan including Calayan and Babuyan group of Islands are under Public Storm Warning Signal Number 2 with winds of 61 to 120 kph expected in 24 hours.
Public Storm Warning Signal Number 1 with winds of 30 to 60 kph expected in 36 hours is still up over the provinces of La Union, Pangasinan, Kalinga, Mountain Province, Ifugao, Benguet, Nueva Vizcaya, Isabela and the rest of Cagayan.
“Occasional rains and gusty winds will be experienced over provinces under signal No. 1 while those under signal No. 2 will have stormy weather. Residents in low-lying and mountainous areas of the provinces with storm signals hoisted over them are alerted against possible flashfloods and landslides,” Pagasa said.
Roads
The Regional Disaster Management Council in Central Luzon reported that total of 53 road sections in Aurora, Bulacan, Nueva Ecija, Pampanga, Tarlac and Zambales remain impassable because of floods, landslides and uprooted trees.
Nine bridges in Nueva Ecija, Tarlac and Zambales were also washed out by floods.
As of Tuesday, 10 road sections in Aurora and five in Bulacan are still not passable by all types of vehicles.
In Nueva Ecija, 29 road sections and bridges are still closed to all types of vehicles because of floods and fallen trees.
Ten road sections in Tarlac that include the Romulo Highway (Camiling-Pangasinan road–Bilad section) and Tarlac-La Paz road–Amucao section were also not passable by all types of vehicles.