Enteng toll hits 20; 26 remain missing

THIRD AFFECTED COUNTRY Debris fly as Supertyphoon Yagi, earlier known as Tropical Storm Enteng, hits northern Vietnam. —Agence France-Presse

MANILA, Philippines — The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) continued to tally deaths caused by Tropical Storm Enteng (international name: Yagi) last week as it developed into a supertyphoon and began to ravage Vietnam.

The NDRRMC on Saturday morning said the death toll due to Enteng has risen to 20, injuring 18 others with 26 still missing.

A total of 2,394,169 individuals, or 675,428 families, were affected with 7,046 homes damaged in eight regions 171 roads and 32 bridges damaged.

READ: Storm Enteng to intensify into a typhoon after it exits PAR

After leaving the Philippine area of responsibility on Sept. 5, Enteng developed into a supertyphoon (renamed Yagi) and became the strongest typhoon to hit Hainan, China, since 2014.

It killed two people and injuring 92 others in Hainan, before making landfall in northern Vietnam on Saturday and uprooted thousands of trees and swept ships and boats out to sea.

“It has been years since I witnessed a typhoon this big,” said Agence France Presse quoted a woman from Hai Phong. “It was scary. I stayed indoors, after locking all my windows. However, the sound of the wind and the rain was unbelievable.”

Even two days after it left the country, the Philippine Red Cross (PRC) on Saturday said it has provided health and hygiene services to more than 4,800 individuals affected by Enteng last week.

‘Enteng’ aftermath

As of 1 p.m. Friday, PRC chair Richard Gordon said they have mobilized five food trucks, served hot meals to 9,671 individuals and distributed food items such as breads and donuts to 7,363 people in evacuation centers in Metro Manila as well as in the Ilocos, Central Luzon, Calabarzon and Eastern Visayas regions.

More than 600 volunteers, consisting of 560 from RC143 program and 70 from Red Cross Youth, have been mobilized for PRC’s rescue and relief operations.

Volunteers and staff also gave psychological first aid to 321 individuals. A total of 416 children have participated in child-friendly spaces activities in evacuation centers. Welfare desks have been established in 47 areas and 37 first-aid stations have been set up.

“Since disaster-stricken areas are also prone to many diseases, we aim to inform families and communities about how to identify health risks and treat these illnesses. We ask the public to always be mindful of their surroundings and continue to be on alert,” Gordon said.

Clear skies

The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical and Astronomical Services Administration, meanwhile, said most parts of the country will experience clear skies in the next few days following almost a week of heavy rains and flooding brought by Enteng.

In its 4 p.m. update on Saturday, Pagasa weather forecaster Chenel Dominguez said Enteng’s movement away from the Philippines has weakened any direct impact of the southwest monsoon, or “habagat,” to the country.

“But continue to expect cloudy skies with scattered rains over Batanes, Babuyan Islands, [and the provinces] of Ilocos Norte and Ilocos Sur,” she noted.

The rest of the country, including Metro Manila, is projected to have fair weather conditions, except for possible isolated rain showers or thunderstorms in the afternoon or evening caused by thunderstorms.

The state weather bureau said it continues to monitor two possible low pressure areas that may form in the next two weeks.