2 dead as Odette, most powerful storm of the year, lashes Northern Luzon

At least two people were reported dead while two more were missing in the wake of Super Typhoon Odette (Usagi), which exited the Philippine area of responsibility Saturday evening.

 

The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council said both victims drowned after their boat capsized in Central Luzon.

Typhoon Odette, the most powerful storm of the year, brought torrential rain and strong winds to the Philippines and Taiwan, uprooting trees and knocking out power as it barrelled towards Hong Kong.

Packing wind gusts of up to 220 kilometers an hour, Odette made landfall on Itbayat island in the northernmost province of Batanes, toppling communication and power lines, uprooting trees, causing landslides and flooding rice and garlic farms.

"The winds are very strong. I cannot even go out now," Batanes governor Vicente Gato told DZBB radio in Manila. "Many trees have been uprooted and we have no electricity," he said.

The NDRRMC said the storm dumped up to 20 millimeters of rain an hour over a diameter of 800 kilometers on the country's main Luzon island. Several roads and bridges were rendered impassable by overflowing rivers or landslides, it said.

The Calayan Group of Islands in the Babuyan strait received the most rain in 24 hours, with 830 millimeters recorded from 8:00 AM on Friday to 8:00 AM on Saturday, the weather bureau said.

"It's rare that we suffer casualties as a result of typhoons," Budget Secretary Florencio Abad, a former congressman for Batanes, told Reuters, saying the province had not experienced a powerful typhoon in 25 years.

"A flash flood occurred and trees were uprooted from the mountain and swept by roiling waters to the town. Many houses lost their roofs or were destroyed. Damage to crops is heavy and landslides were reported all around."


Floods and landslides

 

The NDRRMC identified the fatalities as Alejandro Guillermo Abalos, about 50; and April Kim Centeno Manuel, around 20 years old. 

 

Still missing are Elenita Abalos and Suzette Abalos. Nine other passengers of the boat were rescued, the NDRRMC said.

 

A post on the Twitter account of government-run PTV-4 shortly after 7 p.m. quoted PAGASA forecaster Fernando Cada as saying Odette has exited the Philippine area of responsibility. 

 

The NDRRMC also noted flooding in several parts of Luzon, including waist-high waters in parts of Mindoro Occidental. Floods were also reported in eight coastal villages in Sta. Cruz, Laguna; as well as in Dagupan City in Pangasinan.

 

A landslide was reported in Zone 3 in Talisay, Batangas, damaging at least one house. The NDRRMC also noted at least 22 families were affected in Gonzaga and Calayan in Cagayan.

 

Stranded

 

The NDRRMC said at least 276 passengers were stranded in ports in Cagayan, San Vicente, Claveria, Albay, Sorsogon and Masbate, as 10 trips were canceled.

 

Roads rendered impassable included:

 

Apayao: Claveria-Calanasan Road, Carmela section

Kalinga: Kalinga-Abra Road, KO0510+000, Talalang, Balbalan; Balbalan-Pinukpuk Road

Benguet: Acop-Kapangan-Kibungan-Bakun Road, KO 338+200, Ay-ay section

 

Power restoration is still ongoing in parts of Apayao, Baguio City, Ifugao and Kalinga.

 

Mining, tourism

 

The NDRRMC said Benguet Governor Nestor Fongwan has suspended small-scale mining operations since Friday.

 

It added the Sagada Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council suspended the use of Sumaguing Cave for tourists "to prevent accidents." – With reports from Reuters and Agence France-Presse, KDM/YA, GMA News