'Nona' death toll in Samar provinces climbs to 12

TACLOBAN CITY, Dec. 21 (PNA) –- The death toll in Samar provinces has climbed to 12 one week after typhoon "Nona's" devastation, the Regional Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (RDRRMC) reported on Monday.

Casualties have been reported in the towns of Allen, Lope de Vega, Mondragon, Catarman, San Roque, and Victoria in northern Samar and Matuguinao, Samar.

Of the 12 victims, four have died due to drowning, two due to hypothermia, two due to injuries, two due to trauma, one due to electrocution, and one due to loss of consciousness.

Nearly 900 persons in three Samar provinces were reportedly injured. At least 15 of them have been admitted in hospitals.

Typhoon "Nona’s" fierce winds has destroyed 94,857 houses in Samar island, with 14,439 categorized as totally wrecked and 80,418 are partially damaged.

The weather disturbance has affected 544,805 persons with 33,248 still in evacuation centers.

The agriculture and fishery sectors have suffered PHP129.64 million production loss, according to estimates of the Department of Agriculture.

The RDRRMC have deployed teams last week in different northern Samar towns to conduct rapid damage assessment and needs analysis.

National government agencies have set up operation centers in the badly-hit province to facilitate the delivery of assistance in communities pummelled by typhoon Nona last week. (PNA)
JMC/Sarwell Q. Meniano

Typhoon’s death toll climbs to 4 in Samar provinces

TACLOBAN CITY, Dec. 15 (PNA) – Typhoon Nona has killed at least four people in Samar and Northern Samar provinces when it battered the region on Monday, the Regional Disaster and Reduction Management Council (RDRRMC) reported.

Authorities confirmed that the typhoon’s violent winds and heavy downpour claimed the lives of the four.

The first identified casualty is Pascual Ancente, Jr., 31, of Allen, Northern Samar. The victim died due to multiple wounds and head trauma when a galvanized iron sheet hit him.

The second casualty is Tessie Villaneuva Baladad, 38, of Caguingay village, Lope de Vega, Northern Samar. She drowned in Catarman, the provincial capital.

Another casualty is Abundio Bello, 83, of San Jose village, Lope de Vega town. The old man collapsed while heading to the evacuation center. In the remote village of Maduroto, Matuguinao, Samar, flooding drowned Jason Blesario, 28.

Two teams from the Department of Health have been going around Northern Samar, Eastern Samar, and Samar provinces to check on deaths and injuries among the townsfolk.

The RDRRMC has yet to receive reports on the number of persons injured during the onslaught of typhoon Nona.

The weather disturbance has displaced nearly 8,000 families or 30,851 persons in the three Samar provinces. More than 20,000 remained in evacuation centers on Tuesday.

People remained in evacuation centers in Basey, Gandara, San Jorge, San Jose de Buan, Sta. Margarita, and Villareal in Samar; Arteche, Jipapad, Maslog, Oras, San Policarpo in Eastern Samar; Biri, Catarman, Catubig, Laoang, Lapinig, Lope de Vega, Rosario, San Antonio, and San Jose in Northern Samar.

Widespread brownout hit Northern Samar and Eastern Samar as the typhoon damaged power transmission lines and electric posts. (PNA)
LAP/SARWELL Q. MENIANO

Pre-emptive evacuation ordered in Eastern Visayas due to ‘Nona’

TACLOBAN CITY, Dec. 14 (PNA) – The Regional Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council has asked local government units in Eastern Visayas to order pre-emptive evacuation in coastal areas as typhoon Nona made its landfall in Northern Samar on Monday.

Office of the Civil Defense (OCD) Regional Director Edgar L. Posadas, RDRRMC chairperson encouraged local authorities to enforce mandatory evacuation if needed.

“The typhoon’s 150 kilometers per hour sustained winds and 185 kilometers per hour gustiness is strong. It becomes more violent,” Posadas told PNA.

“We want to call both authorities and the public to listen to advisories and be vigilant. It is a joint responsibility of the people and government to ensure everyone’s safety.”

The RDRRMC warned on the possibility of up to two meters storm surges in areas near the center of the typhoon.

With typhoon Nona moving west at only 17 kilometers per hour, it is expected to dump heavy rains in the region in the next two days, according to Posadas.

The official is confident that local government units are more prepared now after learning the lessons of super typhoon Yolanda on Nov. 8, 2013.

“They are prepared. Indeed, they have been regularly reporting what they have been doing even before public storm warning signals were raised in their areas,” the OCD chief.

RDRRMC members have convened on Sunday to discuss preparedness measures and assess available resources that would be extended to local government units (LGUs).

“Aside from prepositioning of foods, no other assistance has been asked by LGUs from the national government,” Posadas added.

Classes in all levels have been suspended in the provinces of Northern Samar, Biliran, Samar, Eastern Samar, and some part of Leyte and Southern Leyte.

As of 1 p.m., the typhoon was located in the vicinity of Catarman, Northern Samar, according to the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration’s social media account.

As on Monday afternoon, Eastern Visayas provinces that were placed under public storm warning signal 3 were Northern Samar, Samar, Biliran, and Eastern Samar. Leyte and Southern Leyte were placed under storm warning signals 2 and 1, respectively. (PNA)
SARWELL Q. MENIANO