Kristine may affect 18,000 villages nationwide – OCD

Tropical Depression Kristine’s forecast track. —Graph from Pagasa.

MANILA, Philippines — Tropical Depression Kristine May affect 18,000 villages nationwide, according to the Office of Civil Defense (OCD).

OCD Administrator Undersecretary Ariel Nepomuceno said this translates to 30 million individuals affected by Kristine.

“This is a considerable population at risk, and we need all hands on deck to mitigate the impacts of this disaster,” Nepomuceno said in a statement on Monday.

READ: Kristine can strengthen into super typhoon, says Pagasa

These potential victims come from nine regions, namely: Central Visayas, Cordillera Administrative Region, Eastern Visayas, Ilocos Region, Mimaropa, Northern Mindanao, SOCCSKSARGEN, Western Visayas, and Zamboanga Peninsula.

As of 11:00 p.m., Kristine was last spotted 480 kilometers east of Catarman, Northern Samar, packing maximum sustained winds of 55 kilometers per hour (km/h) near the center with gustiness of up to 70 km/h.

Eastern parts of Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao were put under Tropical Cyclone Wind Signal No. 1.

It may further intensify into a typhoon before exiting the Philippine area of responsibility in the coming days. —Emmanual John Abris, trainee