ROXAS City – On Tuesday night 217 families (706 individuals) from 10 coastal barangays here moved to evacuation centers. It was a disaster preemptive move.
Typhoon “Odette” is expected to hit parts of Western Visayas today or tomorrow.
The families temporarily sought shelter either in barangay halls, schools, covered gyms or health centers.
The coastal villages where these families came from were Baybay, Barra, Dumolog, Cogon, Minas, Punta Cogon, Olotayan, Bago, Culasi, and Lawaan.
Meanwhile, the city government also set up tents at the Dinggoy Roxas Civic Center and prepared relief goods for the families, according to Mayor Ronnie Dadivas.
It also activated its BLT Kitchen to cook food for the evacuees.
“Odette” now packs 120 kilometers per hour near the center and gusts of up to 150 km per hour, according to the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pasgasa). It was last tracked yesterday 590 km east of Hinatuan, Surigao del Sur.
Nikos Peñaranda of Pagasa said Tropical Cyclone Warning Signal No. 2 has been raised over the eastern portion of Surigao del Norte and Surigao del Sur.
“Expect strong winds in these areas,” he said.
Signal No. 1 was raised over Sorsogon, Masbate including Ticao Island, and the southern portion of Romblon (Cajidiocan, San Fernando, Magdiwang, Alcantara, Looc, Santa Fe, San Jose), Eastern Samar, Northern Samar, Samar, Leyte, Biliran, Southern Leyte, Bohol, Cebu, Negros Oriental, Negros Occidental, Siquijor, Iloilo, Capiz, Aklan, Antique, and Guimaras.
Also under Signal No. 1 were Agusan del Sur, Agusan del Norte, the rest of Surigao del Norte, Dinagat Islands, the northern portion of Bukidnon (Malitbog, Impasug-Ong, Sumilao, Manolo Fortich, Libona, Baungon), Misamis Oriental, Camiguin, the northern portion of Misamis Occidental (Plaridel, Baliangao, Sapang Dalaga), and the northern portion of Zamboanga del Norte (Dapitan City, Sibutad, Rizal, La Libertad, Dipolog City).
Moderate to high seas will continue to prevail. Pagasa advised mariners to remain in port or take shelter in port until winds and waves subside.
Gale warning remains in effect for the seaboards of northern Luzon, eastern seaboard of central Luzon, eastern and western seaboards of southern Luzon, western seaboard of the Visayas, and eastern seaboard of Mindanao not under any cyclone warning signal.
Further, moderate to rough seas will continue to prevail over the remaining seaboards of central Luzon, southern Luzon, and the western and northern seaboards of Mindanao not under any wind signal.
Meanwhile, light to moderate, with at times heavy rains are forecast over Surigao del Norte, Surigao del Sur, Dinagat Islands, and Southern Leyte.
“Flooding and landslides are possible in these areas,” Peñaranda said.
“Odette” is forecast to make landfall in the vicinity of Caraga or Eastern Visayas today. (PNA)
