Bicol region braces for new storm

SCREENGRAB FROM PAGASA WEBSITE

LEGAZPI CITY—Disaster councils across Bicol were placed on alert on Saturday after Tropical Storm “Nona” (international name: Melor) entered the Philippine area of responsibility and was projected to bring moderate to heavy rain in the region by Sunday

Bernardo Alejandro, Office of Civil Defense (OCD) regional director and also chair of the Regional Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council, said the OCD Operation Center has been activated since Friday and its personnel placed on 24/7 duty to monitor and advise local disaster councils and agencies in the six Bicol provinces on weather updates and disaster preparation scenarios.

The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa), in its 11 a.m. bulletin, said it is considering placing the entire Bicol region and the Samar provinces in Eastern Visayas under public storm Signal No. 1 by Sunday after Nona slowed down while maintaining its strength and direction toward these areas.

Pagasa said as of 11 a.m. Saturday, Nona was 1,025 kilometers east of Maasin City in Southern Leyte packing maximum sustained winds of 65 kilometers per hour and gustiness of up to 80 kph moving west northwest at a speed of 17 kph.

Nona was projected to be 605 km east of Borongan City in Eastern Samar by Sunday morning, 350 km east of Sorsogon City in Sorsogon by Monday morning, in the vicinity of Virac, Catanduanes, by Tuesday and, 55 km northeast of Calapan City, Oriental Mindoro, by Wednesday morning.

Alejandro said moderate and heavy rainfall within the 100-km diameter of Nona could trigger floods and landslides.

He said the Department of the Interior and Local Government in Bicol has also activated its “Listo Protocol,” which would ensure the presence of governors and city and town mayors in the operation centers of their disaster risk reduction management councils.

The Listo Protocol also requires that goods and services are ready to achieve a zero casualty goal.

The Philippine Coast Guard would implement the no-sail policy once Signal No. 1 is raised over the region, while 41 boats and trucks are on standby in various Coast Guard units across the region.

Originally posted: 04:42 PM December 12th, 2015