NDRRMC warns of 14-meter storm surges in coastal areas under Signal No. 3

The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council has warned of storm surges as high as 14 meters in coastal areas under Signal No. 3 due to the expected onslaught of Typhoon Ompong.

NDRRMC Edgar Posadas added that the number of Filipinos who would be affected by the typhoon has increased by 900,000 to 5.2 million.

Of the number seen to be affected, the NDRRMC said 983,100 were considered poor.

“We are expecting storm surges which can go as high as 14 meters high. A one-storey building is 4.5 meters high, so these [storm surges] will be as high as [the height of] three storey building,” Posadas said.

As of the latest severe weather bulletin. Signal No. 3 has been hoisted in the provinces of Cagayan, Batanes, Babuyan Group of Islands, Isabela, Kalinga, Mountain Province, Ifugao, Nueva Vizcaya, Quirino and Northern Aurora.

“There was a shift in terms of the most affected province. Yesterday, it was Cagayan with 1.2 million [residents affected], and Isabela ranked second with 1.19 million. Now, nagpalit sila," Posadas said.

"The projected affected persons in Isabela increased to 1.57 million, followed by Cagayan with still 1.2 million," he added.

In addition, 447 out of the 662 cities and municipalities in Regions 1, 2, 3, Calabarzon (4a), Mimaropa (4b), 5, 6, 7 and Cordillera Administrative Region have suspended class on Friday due to typhoon Ompong.

Likewise, Ompong has prompted the cancellation of 22 domestic flights and left 4,000 passengers stranded in seaports.

Six hundred sixty-seven rolling cargos, 46 vessels and 36 motorbances in ports of Manila, Subic, Aklan, Antique, Albay, Sorsogon, Southern Leyte, Negros Occidental, Oriental, Romblon, Siquijor, among others, have also been grounded by Ompong.

Ompong is the 15th typhoon to hit the country this year.

The government has initially earmarked P1.7 billion to the Department of Social Welfare and Development to aid families affected by typhoon Ompong.

On Friday, Posadas announced that another P20 million has been alloted by the government to ensure rice supply in typhoon Ompong-affected areas.

“The P20 million [budget] was released sa NFA para meron na tayong paunang pambayad and we can immediately draw sacks of rice,” Posadas said.

The third wave response teams of NDRRMC are also on standby in Clark, Pampanga.

“They are prepositioned in Clark. Naghihintay na lang tayo ng staging area nila further North...[kasi] ayaw natin silang ilagay sila dun para maging biktima rin lang,” Posadas said.

“And so in the immediate aftermath, we will deploy them, both the civilian counterparts and those who do rapid damage assessment and analysis,” Posadas added. —NB, GMA News