Over 20 areas under storm signals due to Dante; Tuesday landfall seen

Several areas were placed under Tropical Cyclone Wind Signal (TCWS) No. 2 on Tuesday morning as Tropical Storm Dante turned west-northwestward while over the Philippine Sea.

PAGASA, in its 8 a.m. bulletin, said Dante could make its initial landfall in Eastern Samar or Leyte between Tuesday afternoon and evening.

"However due to the movement of the storm over the past 3 to 6 hours, there is an increasing likelihood that 'DANTE' will move more west northwestward or westward in the near-term, which may bring the area of initial landfall over Leyte or Dinagat Islands-Siargao Islands area," it said.

Storm signals

Based on PAGASA's latest bulletin, under TCWS No. 2, where damaging gale-force winds are prevailing or should be expected within 24 hours, are:

• the eastern portion of Masbate (Mobo, Uson,Dimasalang, Cawayan,
• Palanas, Cataingan, Placer, Pio V. Corpuz, Esperanza) including Ticao Island,
• Sorsogon,
• eastern portion of Albay (Legazpi City, Manito, Santo Domingo, Bacacay, RapuRapu)
• Eastern Samar,
• Samar,
• Northern Samar,
• Biliran,
• the northern and central portions of Leyte (Matag-Ob, Villaba, Ormoc City, Albuera, Burauen, Macarthur, Javier, Abuyog, La Paz, Mayorga, Tolosa, Dulag, Tabontabon, Julita, Tanauan, Dagami, Pastrana, Palo, Tacloban City, Babatngon, Alangalang, Santa Fe, Barugo, Tunga, Jaro, San Miguel, Carigara, Kananga, Tabango, Leyte, Calubian, Capoocan, San Isidro),
• the eastern portion of Southern Leyte (Silago, Hinunangan, Hinundayan, Anahawan)
• The northern portion of Dinagat Islands (Tubajon, Libjo, Loreto, Cagdianao),
• Siargao and Bucas Grande Islands

Meanwhile, areas under TCWS No. 1, where strong winds are prevailing or should be expected within 36 hours, are the following:

• Camarines Sur,
• Catanduanes,
• Camarines Norte,
• the rest of Albay,
• the rest of Masbate including Burias Island,
• the eastern portion of Romblon (San Fernando, Cajidiocan, Magdiwang, Romblon),
• eastern portion of Quezon (Catanauan, Mulanay, San Francisco, San Narciso, San Andres, Buenavista, Guinayangan, Tagkawayan, Calauag, Lopez, General Luna, Macalelon, Quezon, Alabat, Gumaca, Perez) including Polillo Islands
• the northeastern portion of Capiz (Panay, Pontevedra, President Roxas, Roxas City, Pilar),
• the northeastern portion of Iloilo (Sara, Concepcion, San Dionisio, Batad, Estancia, Carles, Balasan),
• the northern portion of Cebu (Tuburan, Danao City, Carmen, Catmon, Sogod, Tabuelan, Tabogon, San Remigio, Borbon, City of Bogo, Medellin, Daanbantayan, Compostela, Liloan) including Bantayan and Camotes Islands,
• the northeastern portion of Bohol (Talibon, Bien Unido, Ubay, Mabini, Pres. Carlos P. Garcia),
• the rest of Leyte,
• the rest of Southern Leyte
• Agusan del Norte,
• the northern portion of Agusan del Sur (Sibagat, City of Bayugan, Prosperidad, San Francisco),
• Surigao del Sur (Barobo, Lianga, San Agustin, Marihatag, Cagwait, Bayabas, Tago, City of Tandag, Cortes, San Miguel, Carrascal, Cantilan, Madrid, Lanuza, Carmen, Hinatuan, Tagbina),
• the rest of Surigao del Norte

PAGASA said as of 7 a.m., the center of Dante was estimated at 270 km east of Maasin City in Southern Leyte.

Dante was packing maximum sustained winds of 75 km/h near the center and has a gustiness of up to 90 km/h. It was moving west northwestward at 20 km/h.

Deaths, floods

Rains caused by Dante since the weekend, meanwhile, have flooded many parts of Mindanao, according to an Unang Balita report on Tuesday.

Rgil Relator of GMA Regional TV Davao reported that two people, one of them a 14-year-old girl, were killed in Davao del Sur and South Cotabato due to the storm.

The teenage fatality was identified as Divine Grace Moreno, who was swept away by raging floodwaters. Her father survived the incident.

The other fatality, a woman, has yet to be identified. She was found dead in Malalag, Davao del Sur, on Monday morning after a night of heavy rains.  --KBK, GMA News