All signals lowered as ‘Pedring’ leaves Philippines
MTSAT-EIR Satellite Image for 5 p.m., 28 September 2011
MANILA, Philippines—All signals in the country have been lowered as Typhoon ‘Pedring’ (international name: Nesat) leaves the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR) and heads towards Hainan, China according to the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa).
Pedring was spotted over the west Philippine sea, 520 kilometers west northwest of Baguio City. Its speed remains unchanged at 19 kilometers per hour (kph). Its maximum sustained winds of 130 kph, with gustiness of 160 kph, has remained the same.
According to reports from the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) at least 21 persons died and 25 persons injured when Pedring pummeled central Luzon Tuesday.
Around 33 casualties, mostly fishermen, remain missing, the NDRRMC said.
‘Pedring’ wreaked an estimated P1 billion of damages to infrastructure and agriculture, with P912 million coming from agriculture and P72.6 million from infrastructure, the NDRRMC added.
Metro Manila was shut down as strong wind felled power lines and floods obstructed roads at the height of Pedring’s devastation.
Another Tropical Storm, located 1330 kilometers east of northern Luzon, is expected to gain strength and enter the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR) within 24 hours. It has the international name Nalgae, and will be named Quiel once it has entered the PAR, Pagasa said.
Quiel is moving westward at 15 kph, with maximum sustained winds of 75 kph and gustiness of 90 kph, and is likely to make landfall somewhere in the extreme northern Luzon sometime Saturday or Sunday.
Three dams, Angat, Ipo and Magat, have reached spilling level as of 4pm Wednesday due to the rains brought by the southwest monsoon still being enhanced by ‘Pedring.’
Angat dam has already opened three gates at 0.5 meters each. Its water level was at 214 meters, four meters over its spilling level of 210 meters.
Ipo dam has three gates opening a total of 2.3 meters. Its water level was 100.75 meters, 0.55 meters over its spilling level of 100.20 meters.
Water from Angat and Ipo dams flow to the Angat river which has a capacity of 1000 cubic meters per second.
Magat dam has 7 gates opening a total of 16 meters. Its water level was 194.65 meters, 1.65 meters over its spilling level of 193 meters.
Gates have been opened in Magat dam as early as Sunday night before Pedring came. No flooding was expected since the Cagayan river can accommodate the released water flowing down from Magat river.
Ambuklao dam has three gates opening a total of 4 meters. Its water level was at 750.12 meters, 1.88 meters below its spilling level of 752 meters.
Binga dam has 5 gates opening a total of 6 meters. Its water level was at 573.29 meters, 1.71 meters below its spilling level 575 meters.
No residents are expected to be affected since the water released from Ambuklao and Binga dams will be held by San Roque dam, which is still 2.79 meters below its spilling level of 280 meters.
