`Helen’ leaves 9 dead, 2 missing—NDRRMC

Houses are submerged in floods at City Camp Lagoon in Baguio City, northern Philippines, Wednesday Aug. 15, 2012. A second tropical storm in as many weeks battered the northern Philippines on Wednesday as forecasters warned that the still-reeling capital could see more flooding. (AP Photo)

MANILA, Philippines–Tropical storm “Helen’’ left nine dead, 17 injured and two missing as it left the Philippines, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council said Friday.

The fatalities were identified as Jonafe Pandrosen, 58, and Ekmer Domines, 42, who were killed in a landslide in Baguio City; Fernando Dingayen, 49, who was hit by a falling tree in Cagayan; Sabino Macasinag, 47, from La Union, epileptic; Armando Borbon, 37, from Pangasinan, Andrew Batara, 47, from Ilocos Norte, who died from electrocution; Princess Jamon, 1, from Ilocos Norte, and Jocelyn Ortega, 7, from Pangasinan, who died from drowning; and Razel Hidalgo, 26, who died from multiple injuries.

The storm affected 5,883 families or 24,492 persons in 337 villages in Ilocos region, Central Luzon, Mimaropa, and Cordillera, and also 3,959 families or 16,100 persons housed in 89 evacuation centers.

Helen also left 23 cities and municipalities flooded in Ilocos and Central Luzon, and rendered impassable to vehicles 18 roads and eight bridges in Ilocos, Central Luzon, Calabarzon, Mimaropa and Cordillera.

In Ilocos, nearly P50 million worth of agriculture (rice and corn) were damaged by Helen.

Meanwhile, in Zambales, ongoing repairs and sandbagging operations were being conducted on Bitolan dike, the NDRRMC said.

Clearing operations were ongoing in several waterways in Pampanga, the agency added.