Residents in Quezon’s coastal areas brace for storm surge

LUCENA CITY, Philippines – Residents along the coastal municipalities of  Gumaca, Guinayangan, Plaridel, San Narciso, Atimonan, Buenavista, Calauag and Quezon have been warned of possible storm surges in their areas as typhoon “Glenda” has been predicted to hit the province Tuesday evening, said Henry Buzar, officer of Quezon’s Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council.

He said residents in several landslide-prone areas have been ordered to prepare to evacuate to designated evacuation centers in the face of heavy rains.

Quezon Governor David Suarez alerted all local disaster risk reduction and management councils to prepare for the onslaught of typhoon Glenda  in an emergency meeting with PDRRMC on Monday afternoon when he also suspended classes in all school levels in the province’s 40 towns and 2 cities.

Threatened with storm surges, coastal villagers in Agdangan town facing Tayabas Bay were being evacuated to safer ground, as of noontime Tuesday, Janet Buelo-Geneblazo, Quezon public information officer, said.

She said local anti-disaster councils in the coastal towns of San Andres, Guinayangan, San Narciso and Gumaca also ordered the evacuation of residents along the coastlines in designated emergency shelters.

Meanwhile, Lopez town Mayor Isaias Ubana II appealed to netizens on Facebook and other Internet sites to stop spreading photos of his flooded town supposedly as a result of the overflowed Talolong River at the height of typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan).

“Those were old photos taken several years ago. Our town is not flooded because of typhoon Glenda,” Ubana said over the phone.

In Talao-Talao port in Lucena City, at least 80 passengers were stranded since Monday, according to authorities.

Leopoldo Robledo, Philippine Coast Guard master chief petty officer,  also said passengers ships plying the Lucena-Marinduque route have been safely anchored in Balanacan port in Marinduque island and Padre Burgos, Quezon.

Ramsey Astoveza, Agta tribe chieftain based in the Sierra Madre northern Quezon section, said tribesmen in the mountain villages of Umiray, Lumutan and Pagsangahan in General Nakar town have prepared to face the typhoon.

He said the indigenous people have long been prepared to meet even the worst weather.

“But our common problem during typhoons is where to secure our food provisions,” he told the Philippine Daily Inquirer over the phone.

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