Emong weakens into severe tropical storm, Signal no. 3 up in 9 areas

Emong weakened into a severe tropical storm on Friday morning as it made landfall over Candon City, Ilocos Sur, according to PAGASA.

In its 8 a.m. bulletin, state weather bureau PAGASA raised the following Tropical Cyclone Wind Signals:

Signal No. 3

• locos Norte
• Ilocos Sur
• The northern portion of La Union (Bangar, Sudipen, Balaoan, Luna, Santol, Bacnotan, San Gabriel, Bagulin, San Juan, City of San Fernando)
• Apayao
• Abra
• The western portion of Kalinga (Balbalan, Pasil, Tinglayan, Lubuagan)
• The western portion of Mountain Province (Besao, Tadian, Sagada, Bauko, Sabangan, Bontoc, Sadanga)
• The northwestern portion of Benguet (Mankayan, Bakun, Kibungan, Kapangan)
• The northern and western portions of Cagayan (Santa Praxedes, Claveria, Sanchez-Mira, Pamplona, Abulug, Ballesteros, Rizal, Lasam, Allacapan, Aparri)

Signal No. 2

• Batanes
• The rest of mainland Cagayan including Babuyan Islands
• The northern and western portions of Isabela (Cordon, City of Santiago, Ramon, San Isidro, Alicia, San Mateo, Cabatuan, San Manuel, Luna, Aurora, Burgos, Roxas, Quirino, Mallig, Delfin Albano, Quezon, Cabagan, Santa Maria, San Pablo, Maconacon, Santo Tomas, Tumauini, Gamu, Ilagan City, City of Cauayan, Reina Mercedes, Naguilian)
• The northwestern portion of Quirino (Diffun)
• The western and central portions of Nueva Vizcaya (Kayapa, Santa Fe, Ambaguio, Aritao, Bambang, Bayombong, Villaverde, Solano, Bagabag, Dupax del Sur, Dupax del Norte, Kasibu, Quezon, Diadi)
• The rest of Kalinga
• The rest of Mountain Province
• Ifugao, the rest of Benguet
• The rest of La Union and the northwestern portion of Pangasinan (Bolinao, Anda)

Signal No. 1

• The rest of Pangasinan, the rest of Isabel
• The rest of Quirino
• The rest of Nueva Vizcaya
• The northern and central portions of Aurora (Dilasag, Casiguran, Dinalungan, Dipaculao)
• The northern portion of Nueva Ecija (Nampicuan, Cuyapo, Guimba, Talugtug, Science City of Muñoz, San Jose City, Lupao, Carranglan, Pantabangan)
• The northern portion of Tarlac (San Clemente, Camiling, Moncada, San Manuel, Anao, Paniqui, Santa Ignacia, Mayantoc, San Jose, City of Tarlac, Victoria, Pura, Gerona, Ramos)
• The northern portion of Zambales (Santa Cruz, Candelaria, Masinloc, Palauig, Iba)

Emong was last spotted in the vicinity of San Isidro, Abra, packing maximum sustained winds of 100 kilometer per hour (kph) near the center and gustiness of up to 165 kph.

It was moving north northeastward at 25 kph.

“EMONG has made landfall in the vicinity of Candon City,Ilocos Sur at 5:10 AM today. Based on the forecast track, it will cross the mountainous terrain of Northern Luzon and emerge over the Babuyan Channel before noon,” PAGASA said.

“EMONG will then move northeastward and pass close or over Babuyan Islands between this noon and afternoon. It may also pass near Batanes between this afternoon or evening and will continue moving north northeastward until it exits the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR) tomorrow (26 July) morning or noon,” it added.

Impact

The reported death toll due to Tropical Cyclones Crising, Dante, Emong and the Southwest Monsoon or Habagat has increased to 25 as of Friday morning. 

In its 6 a.m. report, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) said nine of these fatalities were reported in Metro Manila. 

Three deaths were reported each in Calabarzon, Western Visayas, Negros Island Region, and Northern Mindanao.

One death was reported in each of Central Luzon, Mimaropa, Davao Region, and Caraga.

According to the NDRRMC, only three of the reported deaths have been confirmed so far:

Barangay Bayugo, Meycauayan, Bulacan - victim died due to electrocution.

Barangay Poblacion, Mambajao, Camiguin - victim hit by a falling tree.

Barangay Matin-ao, Mainit, Surigao del Norte - victim riding a motorcycle and was hit by a collapsed tree

25 Dead

A total of 3,849,624 people or 1,065,779 families have been affected by the bad weather in all regions except Eastern Visayas.

Floods, landslides, collapsed structures, and tornadoes were reported in the affected areas.

The region with the most number of affected individuals was Central Luzon with 2,296,607, followed by Bicol Region with 316,804 and Calabarzon with 205,825.

Of the total affected population, 167,257 people or 47,522 families were staying in evacuation centers, while 111,454 people or 27,685 families were taking shelter in other places.

The extent of damage was reported at P3,987,521,473 for infrastructure, P366,905,285 for agriculture, and P281,660,000 for irrigation systems.

A total of 2,909 houses were damaged—2,423 partially and 486 totally.

Two affected airports have returned to normal operations.

A total of 105 passengers, four rolling cargoes, and 20 vessels remained stranded as only 35 of 62 affected seaports have returned to normal operations so far.

Only 227 of 367 affected road sections and seven of 24 affected bridges became passable again to motorists.

Power has been restored in 117 of 132 affected areas. Water service is now operational in three of four affected areas. Meanwhile, communications lines are back in 28 of 289 affected areas.

Classes in 1,043 areas and work schedules in 848 areas were suspended due to the threat of the bad weather.

State of Calamity

A state of calamity was declared in 84 cities and municipalities. These include the entire provinces of Cavite, Bataan, and Pampanga, as well as other cities and municipalities in other provinces:

• Umingan, Mangaldan, Lingayen, Malasiqui, and Calasiao in Pangasinan
• Dagupan City, Dagupan
• Bataan province
• Pampanga province
• Calumpit, Balagtas (Bigaa), Paombong, Meycauayan, Marilao, and Barangay Matungao in Bulakan in Bulacan
• Paniqui, Camiling, and Moncada in Tarlac
• Quezon City
• Marikina
• Navotas
• Manila
• Valenzuela
• Cavite province
• Agoncillo, Batangas
• Cainta, Rodriguez (Montalban), and San Mateo in Rizal
• Roxas, Palawan
• Sebaste, Barbaza, and Culasi in Antique

Assistance worth P232,396,665 has been provided to the victims so far, according to the NDRRMC.

—VAL, GMA Integrated News