Sara D. Fabunan
TYPHOON Lando [international name: Koppu] intensified to 175-kph winds and increased its diameter to 650 kms on Saturday even as weather forecasters warned that it may linger in the country until Tuesday with its heavy to intense rain.
“This is no ordinary storm,” said National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council Executive Director Alexander Pama, who warned that Aurora was placed under Public Storm Warning Signal No. 4 with six adjacent areas under Signal No. 3.
Pama said Lando is expected to hit land at the Aurora area by Sunday morning and possible storm surges may reach a maximum of three meters along the coast of Aurora and neighboring provinces while wave height in the open sea may reach up to 14 meters or higher.
The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration said Lando, spotted 230 km east of Baler, Aurora at 4 p.m. Saturday, may even bring heavy rain in almost all areas of Luzon for more than 24 hours.
“Our latest models show the possibility of heavy rain for more than 24 hours,” said Pagasa’s officer-in-charge Esperanza Cayanan. “It may last until Tuesday.”
Cayanan said Lando may linger within the Philippine area of responsibility because it was interacting with a high-pressure area north of the country and Typhoon Champi which was hovering over the Pacific Ocean in the west.
“While Champi is not intensifying, Lando cannot move,” Cayanan said, noting that the weather condition was similar to that of Typhoon Pepeng [international name: Parma] that devastated northern Luzon in September 2009.
But the government is still hoping for “zero casualties” and has readied P18 million to respond to possible devastation, a Palace official said.
In a radio interview, Presidential deputy spokesperson Abigail Valte said the P18-million fund is under the Department of Social Welfare and Development.
“As of yesterday afternoon, the DSWD has made available a total of P18,461,984.69 in standby funds, 196,737 family food packs, and P158,164,761.76 worth of food and non-food items,” Valte said in an interview over dzRB Radyo ng Bayan.
Valte said the DSWD now is stockpiling relief goods while the Department of Public Works and Highways has readied heavy equipment for the expected road clearing operations.
She also assured that the Health department has sufficient supply of medicines and first aid equipment if needed.
The Department of Energy and the National Electrification Administration on the other hand said it is ready to response in case of power outages.
She said that the DILG, Philippine National Police and Bureau of Fire Protection has already implemented Oplan Listo while the Armed Forces and Coast Guards are also standby.
“The government is prepared for this and has undertaken all the necessary measures to ensure that we reach our zero-casualty target,” she said.
“For their part, the public is advised to stay tuned to government websites like the Official Gazette and Pagasa to keep updated on the latest weather updates.”