Urduja removed from PAGASA name list as damage exceeds P1 billion

Weather bureau PAGASA on Thursday said it would soon remove "Urduja" from the list of tropical cyclone names after damage from the deadly and destructive storm breached P1 billion.

"Umabot na sa 1 billion ang damage from Urduja kaya tatanggalin na natin ito sa listahan ng bagyo dahil sa damage na ito," said Esperanza Cayanan, chief of PAGASA's weather division, in a meadia briefing on Thursday.

On Wednesday, damages to infrastructure and agriculture products due to Urduja (Kai-tak) were still under P1 billion.

The NDRRMC said the estimated cost of Urduja's damage to infrastructure in the provinces of Masbate, Eastern Samar, Samar, Leyte and Compostela Valley has reached a total of P543,220.

At the time, it said the amount may still increase because damage assessments are ongoing.

The agency also reported an estimated cost of damage of P475,303,982.02 to crops and livestock in the provinces of Masbate, Sorsogon, Camarines Sur, Cebu, Leyte, Biliran, Southern Leyte, Samar, Eastern Samar and Northern Samar.

On Tuesday, the NDRRMC said at least 41 people have been reported killed and 45 more were missing in Urduja's wake, the deadliest cyclone to hit the Philippines so far this year.

Urduja had exited the Philippine Area of Responsibility, through the West Philippine Sea. — MDM, GMA News