Courtesy of PAGASA DOST Facebook page
by Davao Today
DAVAO CITY–The tropical depression spotted two days ago east of the Philippines has now developed into a typhoon named Zoraida, heading into Visayas and Mindanao on Tuesday.
This as President Benigno Aquino III declared in a televised speech Monday night that the country is in a state of national calamity following the devastation of Zoraida’s predecessor, Supertyphoon Yolanda in Visayas.
The new typhoon, however, will be packing winds up to 60 to 85 kilometers per hour with heavy rain, lesser compared to Yolanda which packed winds of 275 kilometers per hour and a storm surge of six meters when it battered Leyte, Eastern Samar and other provinces in Visayas last week.
The Philippine Atmospheric Geophysics Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA), in its bulletin on Monday, said Zoraida is expected to be in the vicinity of Agusan del Sur by tomorrow afternoon.
The forecast said Zoraida will not pass by Leyte and Samar.
Storm signal no. 1 was raised in Visayas provinces of Siquijor, Southern Cebu, Bohol,Negros Oriental, Negros Occidental, Southern Antique, Iloilo and Guimaras; and also in Mindanao provinces of Dinagat Province, Siargao Island, Agusan del Norte, Agusan del Sur, Surigao del Norte, Surigao del Sur, Davao Oriental, Compostela Valley, Davao del Norte including Samal Island, Bukidnon, Misamis Oriental and Camiguin Island.
PAGASA said the impact of storm signal no. 1 includes damages to flowering rice crops and banana plants, and houses made of light materials.
Local government units in Mindanao activated their disaster risk reduction and management councils (DRRMC) to be on alert on the coming storm.
In Davao del Norte, Romulo Tagalo, head of the provincial DRRMC, said they are monitoring Saug and Libuganon Rivers as both were swelling with moderate rainfall since noon.
Suspension of classes in all levels in Davao del Norte and Davao Oriental provinces on Tuesday had already been declared.
Davao Oriental and Compostela Valley were the two provinces hit hardest by Typhoon Pablo last December that left nearly 2,000 dead and missing.
In Surigao del Sur, communities along coastal areas were preemptively evacuated by the Bislig DRRMC.
PAGASA said Zoraida is expected to cross Coron, Palawan by Wednesday afternoon and in Ambulong, Batangas by Wednesday.
Meanwhile, in his declaration, Pres. Aquino has pledged P1.1 billion as additional funds for immediate relief to Yolanda victims.
Yolanda affected four million Filipinos and left many towns and cities in ruins, with cut off communication lines and impassable roads. (davaotoday.com)
Typhoon Zoraida, Yolanda
