‘Frank’ knocks out power on Samar island, parts of Leyte
32,000 families ordered evacuated in Albay
By Joey A. Gabieta, Joel Guinto, Lira Dalangin-Fernandez, Ephraim Aguilar
INQUIRER.net, Southern Luzon Bureau, Visayas Bureau
First Posted 15:01:00 06/20/2008
TACLOBAN CITY, Philippines -- (UPDATE 3) The entire island of Samar and parts of Leyte province, including this city, were plunged into darkness after strong winds brought by typhoon “Frank” (international codename: Fengshen) toppled electric poles across the region.
In the Bicol region, which Frank is expected to hit after it leaves Eastern Visayas, Albay Governor Joey Salceda has ordered the "preemptive evacuation" of 32,000 families living in the lahar zones along the gullies of Mayon Volcano, 114 pre-identified landslide-prone villages, and flood plains or low-lying areas. Earlier, he had ordered classes at all levels in the province suspended.
Rey Gozon, administrative officer of Office of Civil Defense in Eastern Visayas (OCD8), said that the blackout affected Eastern Samar, Northern Samar and Samar provinces starting from 1 p.m. Tacloban City and many towns in Leyte lost their electricity shortly after 1 p.m.
Many areas in Tacloban City were also submerged in ankle-deep water but there was no report yet of massive evacuations, although city disaster officials have urged residents of low-lying and coastal areas to start leaving for higher ground or take shelter at the nearest barangay (village) hall or public school.
At least 321 passengers bound for various points in Luzon are stranded at the Looc port in Allen, Northern Samar, Gozon said.
In the Bicol region, a total of 744 passengers are stranded in three ports. Aside from the passengers, 22 trucks, seven small craft, and four vessels have also been stranded at the Tabaco International Port, Matnog Port, and Masbate Port, Ensign Jeffrey Collado, operations assistant of Coast Guard Bicol, said.
The beams of the amphitheatre being built by the city government of Tacloban collapsed after the canvass covering the construction site became waterlogged and buckled.
Telephone services have also been disrupted and OCD officials are relying on handheld radio and cellular phones to get in touch with provincial, city and municipal officials in the region.
However, many cellular phones could no longer be contacted because owners had nowhere to recharge their batteries due to the massive power failure.
There were no immediate reports of casualties.
At 4 p.m., the eye of the storm, which packs maximum sustained winds of 140 kilometers per hour (kph) with gusts of up to 170 kilometers per hour near the center, was located in the vicinity of Western Samar, 50 kilometers southwest of Catbalogan City, the Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said.
PAGASA director Prisco Nilo, said Frank "will more or less make a small U-turn and will be crossing Samar then move to Bicol then Aurora and Isabela and Cagayan.”
The storm is forecast to cross Samar Island throughout Friday and will be over Camarines Norte province on Saturday afternoon, 50 kilometers northwest of Baler town, Aurora province by Sunday afternoon, and 30 kilometers northwest of Laoag City by Monday afternoon, PAGASA said.
It is moving northwest at 19 kph.
Public storm signal number 3, meaning winds of 100-180 kph, has been raised over the Camarines provinces, Albay, Burias Island, Sorsogon, Catanduanes, Masbate, the Samar provinces, Leyte, and Biliran Island.
Signal number 2 is over Quezon, Polilio Island, Marinduque, Romblon, northern Cebu, and southern Leyte; while signal number 1 was raised in Aurora, Rizal, Laguna, Batangas, Cavite, the Mindoro provinces, Metro Manila, Antique, Aklan, Capiz, Iloilo, the rest of Cebu, Bohol, Siquijor, the Negros provinces, Guimaras, Dianagat Island, and Siargao Island.
The storm is expected to enhance the southwest monsoon, bringing monsoon rains to southern Luzon, the Visayas, and Mindanao, PAGASA said.
Metro Manila can also expect to experience monsoon rains.
Residents in low-lying areas were warned against flash floods while those in coastal areas were warned against big waves.
Earlier, President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo ordered the National Disaster Coordinating Committee activated to make sure measures are in place to avert casualties and assist families that may be affected by the typhoon.
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