NDRRMC: More than 1 million people affected by Mario

Published September 22, 2014 9:29am

(Updated 12:31 p.m.) The number of people affected by Tropical Storm Mario (Fung-Wong) breached the one million mark as of Monday morning, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council said.

In its 6 a.m. update, the NDRRMC said the death toll remained at 11 with 12 injured and two still missing.

Mario exited the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR) before dawn Monday.

According to the NDRRMC, Mario has so far affected 258,976 families or 1,160,050 people in 1,126 barangays in 27 provinces in Ilocos, Cagayan Valley, Central and Southern Luzon, Bicol, Central Visayas, Cordillera, and Metro Manila.

Of these, 30,266 families or 129,676 people are staying in 324 evacuation centers.

The NDRRMC also said 425 houses were destroyed while 1,710 were damaged in Ilocos, Central and Southern Luzon, and Cordillera.

At least 81 roads and six bridges remained impassable in Ilocos, Central Luzon, and Metro Manila.

The Department of Public Works and Highways, meanwhile, said at least 22 road sections in Luzon are still closed.

As of 6 a.m. Monday, 379 areas in Ilocos, Central Luzon, Calabarzon and Metro Manila are still flooded, according to the NDRRMC.

Meanwhile, power was restored in Apayao, Laguna, Batangas, Quezon and Rizal.

In an advisory on Sunday evening, the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines said it has completed restoration work on transmission facilities affected by the storm.

Classes on Monday remained suspended in some areas in Region 1 and the National Capital Region even as the storm exited PAR.

Flooded areas in 'Mario' aftermath

But while the rains have stopped, some areas hit by Mario in Luzon are still dealing with floods in the aftermath of the storm.

In parts of Candaba town in Pampanga, residents use boats as their primary means of transportation, with the flood ranging from four to 15 feet high, a report on GMA News' Unang Balita said Monday.

Authorities noted an increase in illnesses among residents, particularly colds, diarrhea, and athlete's foot, but they are keeping an eye on incidents of leptospirosis, which is a "main concern" in such situations, it added.

A separate Unang Balita report said rain has stopped in Calumpit in Bulacan, but the high water level of Calumpit River is keeping at least 100 families at a covered court in Poblacion, with most of them living in single-floor houses.

Other damages

Meanwhile, around 80 percent of Baguio City has regained electric power, after Mario shut down half of the residences at the central district. Authorities also cleared out many trees on the roadside, as well as some 30 electric posts that fell because of the heavy rains and strong winds.

Kennon Road, a major thoroughfare leading to Baguio City, remains closed after a rockslide that rendered a road impassable from the destruction of typhoons Luis and Mario. The Office of Civil Defense - Cordillera Administrative Region office said Kennon Road and 11 other roads were closed last week to prevent the occurrence of "massive landslides," as what happened in 2009.

Zero casualty has been recorded in Ilocos Sur, where clearing operations were undertaken yesterday by the government, together with residents who helped clear the roadsides of large branches that fell off trees, another report on Unang Balita said. However, about 30 percent of electric posts tumbled down because of the storm, causing lack of power in most areas there.

Some 600 families were moved out of their homes amid the storm's destruction. Some 170 houses were deemed "totally damaged," while 1,100 others were declared "partially damaged," the report added. — Joel Locsin/KG/RSJ, GMA News

Tags: mario, fungwong, ndrrmc