Super typhoon spares Metro from full effect, may exit PAR today
Super Typhoon “Pepito” made its second landfall in the vicinity of Dipaculao, Aurora, and was headed in the direction of Quirino province, which it is expected to reach by Monday afternoon.
The powerful typhoon, however, spared Metro Manila from its full brunt.
The metropolis, with its almost 15 million population, was only under Tropical cyclone wind signal no. 2 as of 5 p.m. on Sunday.
The center of the eye of “Pepito” was estimated in the vicinity of Nagtipunan, Quirino, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said in its last bulletin on Sunday.
It was moving northwestward at 25 km/h with maximum sustained winds of 185 km/h near the center and gustiness of up to 305 km/h.
It is expected to remain a super typhoon as it crosses Luzon the state weather bureau warned of a “potentially dangerous” situation in Aurora province.
‘Pepito,’ known internationally as ‘Man-Yi,’ uprooted trees, brought down power lines and smashed flimsy houses to pieces as it swept across the storm-weary Philippines on Sunday, following an unusual streak of violent weather.
The cyclone was still packing maximum sustained winds of 185 kilometers per hour (115 miles per hour) and gusts of up to 230 kph, after making landfall on lightly populated Catanduanes island late Saturday.
More than 1.2 million people fled their homes ahead of ‘Pepito’ as the national weather service warned of a “life-threatening” impact from the storm.
No deaths have so far been reported, but there was “extensive” damage to structures on Catanduanes, civil defense chief Ariel Nepomuceno said.
Severe flooding and landslides were expected as ‘Pepito’ dumped “intense to torrential” rain over provinces in its path, with more than 200 millimeters (nearly eight inches) forecast in the next 24 hours, the weather service said.
Panganiban municipality in the northeast of Catanduanes took a direct hit from ‘Pepito.
Photos and a drone video shared on the Facebook page of Mayor Cesar Robles showed fallen power lines, damaged and destroyed buildings, and trees and corrugated iron sheets strewn on the roads.
“Pepito was so strong, I have never experienced a typhoon this strong. It is still a bit unsafe, there are still bursts of wind and there are many debris.”,” Robles said in a post.
‘Pepito’ is the sixth storm in the past month to batter the archipelago nation.
At least 163 people died in the previous storms, that also left thousands homeless and wiped out crops and livestock.
Climate change is increasing the intensity of storms, leading to heavier rains, flash floods and stronger gusts.
About 20 big storms and typhoons hit the Philippines or its surrounding waters each year, killing scores of people, but it is rare for multiple such weather events to take place in a small window, as even the United States’ National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) noted.
Around 2,000 people were in emergency evacuation shelters in Dipaculao municipality in Aurora province.
Others have stayed home to protect their property and livestock, or because they were skeptical of the warnings, said Geofry Parrocha, communications officer of Dipaculao disaster agency.
“Some of our countrymen are really hard-headed. They do not believe us until the typhoon arrives,” Parrocha told Agence France Presse (AFP).
Meanwhile, the Philippine National Police (PNP) in Bicol flagged Catanduanes as a primary concern in its ongoing response to super typhoon, citing significant communication issues and infrastructure damage across the province.
On Sunday, PNP-Bicol Director General Andre Dizon said communication lines with nine municipalities in Catanduanes remain severed, hampering the flow of critical updates.
In a video conference with the Presidential Communications Office (PCO), Dizon said only Virac and San Andres can be contacted at the moment.
Dizon also reported major structural damage to several police stations in Catanduanes, hampering rescue as well as law enforcement operations.
The PNP is closely coordinating with the Office of Civil Defense (OCD) and the Regional Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (RDRRMO) to address various challenges, including the transport of relief goods to storm-hit communities.
Plans are underway to manage the influx of relief goods through the Tabaco Port in Albay, with the Highway Patrol Group organizing vehicles for shipment to Catanduanes, similar to measures implemented during Severe Tropical Storm ‘Kristine,’ Dizon said.
Tropical cyclone wind signal no. 5 was raised over the central portion of Aurora (Dipaculao, Baler, Dinalungan, Maria Aurora, Casiguran, San Luis), the southern portion of Quirino (Nagtipunan), and the southern portion of Nueva Vizcaya (Alfonso Castañeda, Dupax del Norte, Dupax del Sur, Kasibu, Aritao, Bambang).
Signal no. 4 was hoisted over the rest of Aurora, the rest of Nueva Vizcaya, the rest of Quirino, the southern portion of Ifugao (Kiangan, Lamut, Tinoc, Asipulo, Lagawe), Benguet, the southern portion of Ilocos Sur (Alilem, Sugpon, Suyo, Santa Cruz, Tagudin), La Union, the eastern portion of Pangasinan (Sison, Tayug, Binalonan, San Manuel, Asingan, San Quintin, Santa Maria, Natividad, San Nicolas, Balungao, Pozorrubio, Laoac, San Jacinto, San Fabian, Manaoag, City of Urdaneta, Rosales, Umingan, Mangaldan, Mapandan, Villasis, Santo Tomas), and the northern portion of Nueva Ecija (Gabaldon, Laur, Bongabon, Pantabangan, Rizal, General Mamerto Natividad, Lupao, San Jose City, Llanera, Carranglan, Science City of Muñoz, Talugtug, Cuyapo). With AFP
