Weather observer among those missing in Tacloban
A general shot shows houses destroyed by the strong winds caused by typhoon Haiyan at Tacloban, eastern island of Leyte on November 9, 2013. AFP
MANILA, Philippines—A female weather observer in Tacloban City is among the countless people missing in the Eastern Visayas provincial capital that took the brunt of monster typhoon Yolanda’s fury last Friday, a colleague of hers in Manila said Monday.
Ramon Agustin, president of the Philippine Weathermen Employees Association, said a storm surge churned by the strongest typhoon to hit the Philippines this year destroyed the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration’s station in Tacloban last Friday and Weather Observer I Salvacion Avetruz, 40, has been unaccounted for since then.
“The last we heard from her was at 5 a.m. on Friday (November 8). She was able to send out data from the observatory. Our station chief in Catbalogan, Samar relayed the information that one of our weather observers had gone missing after the storm surge destroyed the station,” Agustin told the Inquirer.
The Pagasa station in Tacloban City was located in the airport terminal, which was itself ravaged by the big waves whipped up by the typhoon. The Tacloban airport is located by the coast.
Agustin said that there were four weather observers manning that station. Chief meteorological officer Mario Penaranda and observers Romeo Elvina and Anthony Sanchez survived although they were seriously injured but Avestruz was swept away by the swirling tide and has not been found, he added.
“All the instruments, equipment and the entire building were destroyed,” Agustin said.
Avestruz, who hailed from Catarman, Northern Samar, had been with Pagasa since July 2010 as a full-time weather observer, Agustin said.
“We are hoping she is still alive,” he said.
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