The Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) released a preemptive evacuation order covering all communities located near the Philippines’ shorelines in vulnerable coastal provinces facing the Pacific Ocean after a magnitude-8.7 earthquake struck Kamchatka, Russia on Wednesday.
In a news release, the DILG urged heightened coastal vigilance following an advisory from the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs), warning of tsunami waves less than one meter in height in light of the seismic event.
The Phivolcs and the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said the tsunami waves are expected to reach the eastern seaboard of the Philippines between 1:20 PM and 2:40 PM on Wednesday (July 30) and may persist for hours.
The DILG listed the following among the possible affected provinces:
• Luzon: Batanes Group of Islands, Cagayan, Isabela, Aurora, Quezon, Camarines Norte, Camarines Sur, Albay, Sorsogon, Catanduanes
• Visayas: Northern Samar, Eastern Samar, Leyte, Southern Leyte
• Mindanao: Dinagat Islands, Surigao del Norte, Surigao del Sur, Davao Oriental, Davao Occidental, Davao del Sur, Davao del Norte, Davao de Oro
In its advisory, the DILG urged the concerned LGUs to also undertake critical preparedness measures amid serious threats of tsunami.
The agency also advised residents to remain vigilant and stay away from beaches and coastal waters until Phivolcs officially lifts the tsunami advisory.
“People residing very near the shoreline are also strongly advised to move further inland as a precautionary measure. Boat owners are also told to secure their vessels and stay in deep water if already offshore,” the DILG said.
The department also directed its regional directors in Cagayan Valley, Central Luzon, Calabarzon, Bicol, Eastern Visayas, Zamboanga Peninsula and Caraga to ensure all LGUs are on high alert and are closely coordinating with their respective local disaster risk reduction and management councils.
