39 Nueva Vizcaya villages on landslide, flood watch as Inday nears

BAYOMBONG, NUEVA VIZCAYA, Philippines — Thirty-nine villages in five towns in this province have been placed under close monitoring for possible landslides and flooding as Super Typhoon Inday (international name: Bavi) threatens the Cagayan Valley region.

The high-risk areas were identified during the Cagayan Valley Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council’s online pre-disaster risk assessment and briefing on Tuesday.

During the briefing, Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB)-Cagayan Valley geologist Aina Claravall said the assessment was based on the region’s 50-millimeter rainfall threshold, which indicates areas highly susceptible to rain-induced landslides and flooding.

In response, Office of Civil Defense-Cagayan Valley director Albert Mogol ordered disaster response teams to remain on heightened alert as the typhoon is expected to bring wind gusts of 190 to 240 kilometers per hour.

READ: Enhanced habagat to bring heavy rains as Bavi nears PAR

Forecasts showed that the typhoon could be about 665 km east of Basco, Batanes, by Thursday before moving toward Taiwan or China.

Preemptive evacuation

Mogol also urged local government units to conduct preemptive evacuations for residents living near rivers, creeks, ravines, tidal flats, river mouths, seawalls and dikes, particularly those within a 20-meter danger zone.

READ: Evacuations ordered in preparation for Bavi

Romeo Ganal Jr., chief of the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration’s (Pagasa) Northern Luzon Regional Services Division, said Cagayan and Isabela could begin experiencing strong winds by Thursday, while the Babuyan and Batanes island groups are expected to bear the brunt of the typhoon.

He added that the weather disturbance is expected to bring 25 to 50 millimeters of rainfall from Thursday through Saturday, increasing the risk of flooding and landslides in vulnerable areas. /cb