Forced evacuation in Baler to start 1 p.m. Saturday

The local government of Baler, Aurora will start its forced evacuation of residents and tourists on Saturday afternoon as typhoon “Chedeng” (international name: Maysak) approaches the province.

The Philippine Information Agency (PIA) Central Luzon posted on social media that Baler Mayor Nelianto Bihasa has directed the Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council to start the “preemptive evacuation of some 4,373 households residing in high risk areas in various barangays (villages) in Baler.”

“In case some residents refuse to be evacuated, forced evacuation will be implemented starting 1 p.m. today. Evacuees already have designated evacuation centers to stay,” the order added.

READ: Tourists ordered to evacuate Baler due to threat of ‘Chedeng’

The town has also declared its beaches as “no outdoor activities zone.” This will remain in effect until the typhoon leaves the Philippine area of responsibility.

The popular surfing destination is among the areas that will be affected by Chedeng, which is expected to make landfall at the coast of Isabela and Aurora provinces on Sunday morning.

READ: Storm signals up in 24 provinces as Chedeng nears Isabela-Aurora

The state weather bureau has raised public storm warning signal no. 2 in Catanduanes and signal no. 1 in ‪Camarines Sur, ‪Camarines Norte, ‪Quezon including Polillo Island, ‪‎Rizal, ‪Bulacan, ‪Pampanga, ‪Tarlac, ‪Nueva Ecija, ‪Pangasinan, ‪La Union, ‪ Ilocos Norte, ‪‎Ilocos Sur, ‪Abra, ‪Apayao, ‪Cagayan, ‪Benguet, ‪Kalinga, ‪Aurora, ‪Quirino, ‪Nueva Vizcaya, ‪Ifugao, ‪‎Isabela and ‪Mountain Province.

As of 8 a.m. Saturday, the eye of the storm was located 500 kilometers east southeast of Casiguran Aurora.

The 5 a.m. weather bulletin of the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) said Chedeng has maximum sustained winds of 130 kilometers per hour (kph) with gusts of up to 160 kph. It continues to move west northwest at 19 kph.