Bicol braces for new storm

Still reeling from the devastation wrought by Tropical Storm “Juaning,” residents of the Bicol region are bracing for another storm.

Bernardo Alejandro, head of the Office of Civil Defense Bicol (OCD-Bicol) and chair of the Regional Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council (RDRRMC), said response teams had been alerted while local government units were ordered to have 24-hour operations effective Friday after Tropical Depression “Kabayan” intensified into a storm and swirled into the Philippine area of responsibility Thursday afternoon.

But the weather bureau said that Kabayan was too far to bring rains over any part of the country Friday, although its presence brought rough seas in the western seaboard of Luzon and eastern seaboard of Visayas and Mindanao.

The Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration raised no storm signal as Kabayan passed through the country, but warned fishing boats and other small sea craft against venturing out to sea.

The storm was moving toward Japan and may leave the Philippines next week.