Several Sorsogon roads now impassable; 158,665 in evacuation centers

SORSOGON CITY, Sorsogon, Philippines – Roads leading to towns believed hardest hit by Typhoon Nona when it made a second landfall in Sorsogon at 4 p.m. Monday, were rendered impassable by fallen trees and debris. As of Tuesday morning, electricity remained down in the province, with a number of power lines toppled in places like Gubat and Barcelona towns. A team from the Sorsogon Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council (Sorsogon PDRRMC) tried to proceed to the town of Gubat a couple of hours after the landfall but had to turn back because they could not get through the fallen trees, mostly uprooted coconut trees, that have blocked the road. The Sorsogon provincial and city governments were quick to clear the road within the city to Bacon District and made them passable before midnight. A PDRRMC team immediately proceeded to Gubat, Barcelona and Bulusan towns – believed to be hardest hit, and until now, has not returned to the command center in Sorsogon City. Only the Magallanes municipal DRMMC has so far reported to the provincial disaster council that the roads there are not passable, according to Ariel Doctama, PDRRMC spokesperson. The number of evacuees has increased to 31,196 families or 158,665 individuals from 94 barangays all over Sorsogon province. So far, no casualty was reported, Doctama said.  SFM