TD ‘Usman’ strands over 2K passengers in east Visayas

TACLOBAN CITY, Dec. 27 -- More than 2,000 passengers have been stranded in various ports in Eastern Visayas as Tropical Depression Usman continues to threaten central Philippines.

Office of Civil Defense (OCD) Regional Director Henry Anthony Torres said sea travel has been suspended for all types of sea vessels in the region since early Thursday affecting holiday travel plans.

Most of the stranded travelers are in the ports of San Isidro and Allen in Northern Samar bound for Luzon, Liloan; in Saint Bernard in Southern Leyte bound for Mindanao; and Ormoc City in Leyte going to Cebu.

“We don’t expect the number of stranded passengers will increase since bus companies are advised that their buses should stay in terminals and not proceed to roll-on roll-off ports,” said Torres, chair of the Regional Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council (RDRRMC).

The official asked passengers to change their travel plans and just stay home if their areas are still under storm warning signal.

The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration has placed under Tropical Cyclone Signal No. 1 all the region’s six provinces - Eastern Samar, Northern Samar, Samar, Biliran, Leyte, and Southern Leyte.
Aside from impact to transportation, the RDRRMC is also concerned on the thousands of residents in vulnerable communities that may be affected by flooding and landslides.

“Our advice to local government units is to conduct pre-emptive evacuation for vulnerable communities as we expect heavy rains starting Thursday night. We have been coordinating with local disaster risk reduction and management offices to check their preparedness,” Torres said.

The RDRRMC convened on Wednesday and Thursday for the pre-disaster risk assessment and response cluster meetings.

The council asked local DRRMOs to activate emergency operations centers, advice fishermen not to venture out into the sea, ensure widest dissemination of timely weather advisories, and undertake other preparedness activities.

As of Thursday noon, “Usman” has slowed down as it moved towards Eastern Visayas. Its center was estimated at 450 kilometers east of Surigao City, Surigao del Norte or 440 kilometers east southeast of Guiuan, Eastern Samar.

It has maximum sustained winds of 55 kilometers per hour (kph) near the center and gustiness of up to 65 kph. It is expected to move west at 15 kph. (SQM/PNA)