2,349 Northern Samar families remain in evacuation centers

TACLOBAN CITY, Dec. 17 (PNA) – More than 2,000 families in Northern Samar remained in evacuation centers on Thursday after typhoon Nona’s violent winds rendered them homeless, the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) reported.

“There are still some 2,349 families of 9,371 individuals temporarily staying at 28 evacuation centers of Northern Samar province. The DSWD’s Disaster Response Monitoring and Information Center (DROMIC) also bared some 80,405 houses from same province which were partially damaged,” said Vina Aquino, DSWD regional information officer in her update of the agency’s response.

A total of 7,414 houses were flattened by typhoon Nona in Northern Samar, according to the DSWD regional office.

“As of this reporting, the DROMIC reveals that reports coming in from the DSWD’s Social Welfare and Development Team (SWADT) of Northern Samar are a little delayed for the reason that communication lines are cut off yet. Also, power connection is still down,” Aquino added.

In Eastern Samar, DSWD reported about 1,000 partially damaged houses, while in Samar there were five totally and nine partially destroyed houses.

“However, the DROMIC said that the number of damaged houses is expected to increase considerably in the succeeding report,” Aquino said.

According to Aquino, their personnel on the ground have coordinated with the affected local government units “in gathering validated data as to the number of damaged houses.”

Resty Macuto, DSWD Assistant Regional Director for Operations, is leading the agency’s team in Northern Samar.

Earlier before Nona’s landfall, the DSWD said its field workers in six province in Eastern Visayas were “closely keeping in touch with local governments on their readiness against typhoon Nona.”

“I have already instructed for some 2,000 bags of rice to be delivered today to the three Samar provinces,“ said DSWD Nestor Ramos in an earlier statement, adding that “military trucks have been coordinated with the Office of Civil Defense for the transport of the commodities.”

In the same statement, Ramos has assured Secretary Corazon Soliman of “enough standby commodities and fund amounting to over PHP3 million.”

“Repacking of family food packs are ongoing, with 32 workers hired, via the ‘food-for-work’ scheme, for the purpose,” the DSWD said.

The National Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council has said that eight people were confirmed dead while 12 others were injured around the country due to typhoon Nona. (PNA)
FFC/SQM/Ronald O. Reyes

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