(INQUIRER FILE PHOTO
LUCENA CITY – Over 7,800 families were evacuated in Quezon province as Severe Tropical Storm Paeng (international name: Nalgae) threatens residents living in disaster-prone areas.
The Quezon Social Welfare and Development Office, in a report, said that as of 6 a.m., 7,810 families (26,789 individuals) from 235 barangays (villages) were temporarily sheltered in at least 324 evacuation centers in different parts of the province.
As of Friday, Quezon still has 92 active COVID-19 cases. Only 15 towns out of 41 municipalities remained COVID-19 free.
On Thursday afternoon (Oct. 27), Governor Angelina Tan ordered all mayors and disaster preparedness councils to raise the status of their respective emergency operations centers to red alert ahead of the anticipated impact of Paeng.
Concerned offices were also tasked to prepare emergency relief packs for affected residents.
Classes in all levels in public and private schools in Quezon were also suspended from Oct. 28 to 29.
Work in government and private sector were also suspended Oct. 29 except for those involved in the delivery of health services, maintenance of peace and order, and disaster preparedness and response.
In its 5 a.m. bulletin Saturday, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration said the center of Paeng was located in the vicinity of Siruma, Camarines Sur, the neighboring province of Quezon.
The storm has maximum sustained winds of 95 kilometers per hour near the center and gustiness of up to 160 kph.
Tropical Cyclone Wind Signal No. 3 has been raised over Camarines Norte, the northern portion of Camarines Sur (Ragay, Lupi, Sipocot, Libmanan, Cabusao, Magarao, Calabanga, Tinambac, Siruma, Goa, Tigaon, San Jose, Lagonoy, Garchitorena, Presentacion, Caramoan, Saglay, Ocampo, Pili, Bombon, Naga City, Del Gallego, Canaman, Camaligan, Milaor, Gainza, Pamplona), and the northern and eastern portions of Quezon (Tagkawayan, Guinayangan, Calauag, Quezon, Lopez, Gumaca, Plaridel, Atimonan, Mauban, Perez, Alabat, Real, Infanta, General Nakar, Sampaloc) including Pollilo Islands.
The rest of Quezon is under signal number 2.