Typhoon Nando further Saturday with 14 areas placed under Signal No. 1 and coastal areas in Batanes, Cagayan, and Ilocos Norte warned against storm surges or life-threatening coastal floods, the National Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council.
The following areas were placed under Signal No. 1: Batanes; Cagayan including Babuyan Islands; Isabela; Quirino; the northeastern portion of Nueva Vizcaya (Kasibu, Quezon, Diadi, Bagabag, Villaverde, Solano, Ambaguio, Bayombong, Bambang, Dupax del Norte); Apayao; Kalinga; Abra; Mountain Province; Ifugao; Ilocos Norte; the northern portion of Ilocos Sur (Sinait, Cabugao, San Juan, Magsingal, San Vicente, San Ildefonso, Santo Domingo, Bantay, Santa Catalina, City of Vigan, Santa, Caoayan); the northern and central portions of Aurora (Dilasag, Casiguran, Dinalungan, Dipaculao, Baler); and the northern and central portions of Catanduanes (Pandan, Caramoran, Bagamanoc, Panganiban, Viga, Gigmoto, San Miguel, Baras).
Packing maximum sustained winds of 140 kilometers per hour, the center of the eye of Nando was estimated at 725 km east of Casiguran, Aurora or 770 km east of Echague, Isabela as of 5:00 p.m. Saturday.
Nando is forecast to move generally northwestward in the next 12 hours before turning west northwestward towards Extreme Northern Luzon.
The NDRRMC said Batanes is at “high risk” of experiencing a storm surge that could reach as high as over three meters as it advised residents in low-lying coastal areas to evacuate.
A similar warning for one up to three-meter-high storm surge was raised for Cagayan, Ilocos Norte, and Ilocos Sur.
The Department of the Interior and Local Government on Saturday likewise directed local government units (LGUs) in areas at risk from Typhoon Nando to carry out preemptive or mandatory evacuation of residents, particularly those in coastal, low-lying and landslide-prone communities.
“All concerned officials must take immediate critical actions to minimize risk and protect lives and livelihoods,” the DILG said.
NDRRMC has raised its alert status from “blue” to “red” to provide immediate emergency response while Philippine National Police acting chief Lt. Gen. Jose Nartatez Jr. said the police force is fully prepared for the possible impact of Typhoon Nando, particularly in Northern Luzon.
The Department of Social Welfare and Development has also activated its red alert status amid possible pre-emptive evacuations from provinces along Nando’s track.
The agency is prepared to distribute more than 2.6 million boxes of family food packs (FFPs) which are strategically prepositioned in the different hubs, spokes, and last mile warehouses nationwide.
