MT Satellite image August 11, 2013 7:32AM. Screengrab from https://www.pagasa.dost.gov.ph/
NAGA CITY, Philippines – At least 2000 passengers and more than 200 vehicles and sea vessels are stranded in ports in Bicol as typhoon “Labuyo” approaches the region.
The weather bureau has raised public storm signal number 3 in Catanduanes and signal number 2 in Camarines Sur and Camarines Norte since 1 a.m. Sunday, August 11.
The Office of Civil Defense-Regional Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office (OCD-DRMMC) in Bicol reported that in port of Matnog in Sorsogon, 2,076 persons, 48 buses, 100 trucks, 55 small vehicles, and 5 sea vessels were stranded since Saturday night.
In Tabaco City, Albay, 53 persons, 3 trucks, 1 small vehicle and 2 sea vessels were stranded since 10 p.m. Saturday; while in the town of San Andres, Catanduanes, 13 persons and 8 trucks were stranded.
The latest weather bulletin as of 5 a.m. from the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) via Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (PDRRMO) of Camarines Sur revealed that ‘Labuyo’ maintained its strength of maximum winds of 140 kilometers per hour (kph) near the center and gustiness of 170 kph.
The location of its center is 340 kilometers east of Daet, Camarines Norte as it continues to move to west northwest of Luzon at 19 kph, the bulletin said.
Other provinces under signal number two are Isabela, Ifugao, Nueva Vizcaya, Nueva Ecija, Aurora, Quirino and Polillo Island.
The rest of Luzon, namely Cagayan, Calayan Group of Islands, Babuyan Group of Islands, Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, Apayao, Kalinga, Abra, Mountain Province, Benguet, La Union, Pangasinan, Tarlac, Zambales, Pampanga, Bulacan, Bataan, Rizal, Quezon, Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Marinduque, Albay, Sorsogon (Burias and Ticao Islands) and Metro Manila and Northern Samar in Visayas are under public storm signal number 1.
‘Labuyo’ has made no landfall and is following the typhoon tracking made previously by Pagasa.
Authorities in Bicol, however, are bracing for the possibility of its changing course and heading straight for the region, the OCD-RDRRMC said in bulletin posted on its Facebook account.