‘Nina’ topples trees, damages homes

A man wades along a flooded street caused by rains from Typhoon Nina (int’l name Nock-Ten) on Monday, Dec. 26, 2016. (AP Photo/Aaron Favila)

SAN PEDRO CITY – Clearing operations began as weather improved Monday afternoon after Typhoon “Nina” (international name: Nock-ten) damaged  houses and knocked down trees and electric posts.

In Boac, Marinduque, a family of five were hurt after a fallen coconut tree hit their house at the height of the strong winds.

“The weather was improving but the evacuees could not go home yet because many houses were destroyed,” said Boac planning officer Luna Manrique.

Marinduque disaster officer Rolando Josue, in a phone interview, said power supply in the entire island province was cut since 2 a.m. due to fallen electric posts. Some villages, he said, were also “isolated” due to debris and road blocks.

Eugene Cabrera, director of the Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (DRRMC) in Mindoro, Marinduque, Romblon, Palawan (MIMAROPA), said they received reports of roofs of schools and a gym blown off by the wind in Marinduque.

In Calapan City, Oriental Mindoro, he said knee-high floods were reported as of Monday noon.

The regional DRRMC said at least 1,416 families (4,619 people) from Marinduque, Romblon, and Oriental Mindoro remained in evacuation centers.

In Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal, Quezon (CALABARZON), families were also advised “to stay put” in evacuation centers until the typhoon signals were lifted, said regional DRRMC head Vicente Tomazar. He said the typhoon knocked down electric posts, cutting off power supply in 15 municipalities in Quezon and some parts in Laguna.

In Laguna, the number of evacuees had reached 508 families (2,138 people), according to the provincial action center. JE/rga