Signal No. 2 up over Bicol, Samar provinces as ‘Chedeng’ intensifies

MANILA, Philippines—(UPDATE 2) The weather bureau hoisted public storm signal No. 2 over the Bicol region and the entire island of Samar on Wednesday as Tropical Storm “Chedeng” intensified into a full-blown typhoon with gusts of up to 160 kilometers per hour.

The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration said it has raised Signal No. 2 over Catanduanes, Sorsogon, Albay, Camarines Sur and Camarines Norte as well as over the three Samar provinces. Signal No. 1 has been raised over Marinduque, Masbate, Burias, Ticao Islands, southern Quezon, Polilio Island, Northern Leyte and Biliran.

“We are asking the public (in storm-affected areas) to postpone travelling and stay indoors,” chief state weather forecaster Graciano Yumul said.

“The public must follow instructions by their officials to prevent a possible tragedy brought by Chedeng,” he added.

Forecasters said Chedeng was expected to bring nearly as much rain as Tropical Storm “Ondoy” (international name: Ketsana) in 2009, which flooded about 80 percent of Metro Manila and killed more than 400 people.

However, they said it was too early to say whether Chedeng would match Ondoy’s intensity, nor was it forecast to dump the rains on Manila.

According to the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council, residents in various coastal and mountainous areas in the provinces of Albay, Sorsogon and Catanduanes have begun evacuating as of Wednesday noon.

“Residents in low lying and mountainous areas… are alerted against possible flashfloods and landslides,” the NDRRMC said.

Pagasa said earlier that while Chedeng had intensified into a typhoon, with winds of 130 kph near the center and gustiness of up to 160 kph, it had slowed down “almost stationary.”

It is expected to be 170 km east northeast of Catarman, Northern Samar, by Thursday morning.

An average of 20 storms and typhoons, some of them deadly, hit the Philippines every year. Tropical Storm “Bebeng” left 31 people dead after cutting across Luzon island early this month. With reports from AFP and Katherine Evangelista, INQUIRER.net