‘Yolanda-like’ preps for ‘Ompong’ underway — NDRRMC

from Pagasa website

The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) said Tuesday they are doing “Yolanda-like” preparations in anticipation of Typhoon Mangkhut (Ompong), even if it was too early to say that it would have the same magnitude as the powerful typhoon that hit Visayas in 2013.

“Ang preparation natin is level ng Yolanda. Of course we have learned a lot after Yolanda…Hindi naman ibig sabihin na same magnitude as Yolanda but anything could happen,” NDRRMC spokesperson Dir. Edgard Posadas told reporters.

Super Typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan) was one of the strongest tropical cyclones ever recorded in history. It left about 6,000 people dead and flattened seaside towns in Eastern Visayas.

Mangkhut, which will be locally named “Ompong” when it enters the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR) on Wednesday, will affect Northern and Central Luzon.

The NDRRMC convened on Monday for a pre-disaster risk assessment meeting with member agencies.

A standby fund of P1.7 billion has been set aside for the response efforts.

Uniformed services like the military, police, and coast guard were tasked to be part of response units for possible deployment.

International forecasters said Mangkhut will reach a super typhoon intensity in the coming days. It will make landfall somewhere in Northern Luzon, but the local weather bureau could not say so far where it will directly hit.

“Kung magla-landfall daw on the northernmost tip of Luzon, apektado hanggang Central Luzon, and then yung outer bands posible hanggang Metro Manila,” Posadas said.

The typhoon will enhance the southwest monsoon, which will affect Zamboanga Peninsula, Northern Mindanao, Siquijor, Surigao del Norte, Agusan del Norte, Dinagat Islands and Lanao del Sur from September 12 to 14, according Posadas.  /kga