More than 23,000 families have been displaced from their homes as tropical storm Agaton continued to move slowly westward over the coastal waters of Balangiga, Eastern Samar, the weather bureau said Sunday.
The storm, the first for the year, was packing maximum sustained winds of 75 kilometers per hour (kph) near the center, with gustiness of up to 105 kph. It is accompanied by strong winds that extend outwards up to 220 km from the center.
The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) said more than 45,000 people have been affected by the storm.
A total of 3,347 people were evacuated from their homes in Cagayan de Oro and Bukidnon province due to rain-induced landslides, and flooding caused by Agaton.
Evacuations were also reported in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) and Caraga regions in the previous days due to flooding and landslides.
Four regions in the Visayas and Mindanao were affected by the cyclone: Region 10 (Northern Mindanao), Region 11 (Davao Region), CARAGA, and the BARMM.
Two people have also been confirmed injured from Region 10.
Up to 44 houses were also damaged by the storm, all of them from Northern Mindanao.
NDRRMC reported about P874,000 worth of damage to agriculture in BARMM, with 230 hectares of crops in the region damaged by the cyclone.
Agaton also damaged 49 roads and bridges in Davao De Oro, Misamis Oriental, Surigao del Sur, and Agusan del Sur.
One of the hardest-hit towns in Agusan del Sur, Trento, has been placed under a state of calamity, the NDRRMC reported.
A province-wide class suspension was also declared in Agusan del Sur, while five areas in Eastern Samar and Bukidnon also suspended classes in all levels due to the storm.
Tropical Cyclone Wind Signals (TCWS) No. 2 prevailed over the central and southern portions of Eastern Samar, the central and southern portions of Samar, and the northeastern portion of Leyte.
The rest of Eastern Samar, rest of Samar, Northern Samar, Biliran, rest of Leyte, Southern Leyte, and the northern portion of Cebu including Camotes Islands are under TCWS No. 1.
The Philippine Coast Guard Sorsogon Station on Sunday suspended sea vessel trips on the Matnog, Sorsogon-Allen, Northern Samar route due to Agaton, the Philippine Ports Authority (PPA) said.
All trips of vessels enroute to Eastern Samar, the rest of Samar, Northern Samar, Biliran, Leyte, Southern Leyte, and Camotes Islands were also suspended.
From Sunday until early Tuesday, Agaton is forecast to move erratically or remain almost stationary over the eastern portion of Leyte and southern portion of Samar Island and its coastal waters.
