‘Pedring’ heads for north Luzon

PAGASA Track as of 8 p.m., 25 September 2011

Tropical Storm “Pedring” swept toward Luzon Sunday, prompting officials to warn residents of massive flooding and landslides and order the evacuation of thousands in danger zones.

The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) said Pedring (international name: Nesat) was likely to pack more wallop before it strikes either Isabela or Aurora Monday night.

Nathaniel Servando, Pagasa administrator, said the storm had picked up speed of up to 28 kilometers per hour from 22 kph recorded on Sunday morning and was blanketing an area within a radius of 300 km. It was packing center winds of 105 kph, gusting up to 135 kph.

He said the howler would barrel northward across Luzon before moving out via the Ilocos corridor on Wednesday.

As of Sunday afternoon, Pedring was still consolidating in the Pacific, where it was spotted 460 km east of Virac, Catanduanes, according to a 5 p.m. Pagasa bulletin.

Robert Sawi, Pagasa’s chief forecaster, said that while Metro Manila was not on the path of the storm, it could feel its effects as it grows stronger and expands in the next days.

Pedring was anticipated to be reclassified into a typhoon, an intense tropical cyclone with maximum wind speed exceeding 118 kph, late Sunday night or early Monday, Sawi said.

The Hawaii-based Joint Typhoon Warning Center of the United States categorized Pedring as a Category 4 hurricane.

Storm warnings up

As Pedring approached land, Pagasa warned communities in the east coast to evacuate to avoid storm surges, floods, and landslides.

It raised Storm Signal No. 2 in Catanduanes Sunday afternoon.

Camarines Sur, Camarines Norte, Albay including Burias Island, Sorsogon, Quezon including Polillo Island and Aurora were on Signal No. 1.

Servando said the arrival of Pedring was almost similar to the onslaught of Tropical Storm “Ondoy,” which struck the country on Sept. 26, 2009, dumped a record rainfall in six hours and left nearly 500 people dead.

Servando said Metro Manila, southern Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao would start to feel the effects of Pedring on Monday with heavy rains expected.

Evacuation ordered

According to Pagasa’s bulletin, Pedring would be at 190 km east of Baler, Aurora, by Monday afternoon and at 140 km west-northwest of Sinait, Ilocos Sur, by Tuesday afternoon. By Wednesday afternoon, it will be at 510 km northwest of Sinait or at 540 km west of Basco, Batanes.

Albay Governor Joey Salceda ordered the preemptive evacuation of more than 100,000 people belonging to 20,000 families living in areas threatened by flooding and landslides in the towns of Polangui, Oas, Libon and Malinao.

The governor likewise ordered the suspension of classes in elementary and high school levels across the province today.

He banned sailing from all ports of Albay and advised fishermen to refrain from going out to the sea.

In a meeting with the Albay Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council, Salceda directed authorities in 15 towns and three cities in the province to update disaster plans.

He instructed the Army’s 901st Infantry Brigade and the Philippine Navy to get their trucks ready for immediate deployment to low-lying towns. He also requested the National Food Authority for empty sacks to be used as sandbags. With reports from Mar S. Arguelles and Rey M. Nasol, Inquirer Southern Luzon