By: Emme Rose Santiagudo
Typhoon Tisoy continues to threaten areas in Western Visayas with heavy rainfall and winds that may bring light to moderate damage to exposed communities as the strong typhoon moves westward.
As of 5:00 p.m. on Monday, the southern eyewall of Typhoon Tisoy has brought intense rainfall and violent winds over Northern Samar and is expected to hit Sorsogon, Albay, Catanduanes, and Camarines Sur in the following hours, according to PAGASA.
PAGASA has placed the following areas in Western Visayas under Storm Signal No.2:
- Aklan
- Capiz
- Antique
- Iloilo
- northern portion of Negros Occidental (Talisay, Calatrava, Silay, Enrique B. Magalona, Victorias, Manapla, Cadiz, Sagay, Escalante, Toboso)
- Guimaras
The above-mentioned areas can expect winds of greater than 61 kph and up to 120 kph in at least 24 hours.
According to PAGASA, the winds may bring light to moderate damage to the exposed communities.
“Some coconut trees may be tilted with few others broken; few big trees may be uprooted; rice and corn may be adversely affected, large number of nipa and cogon houses may be partially or totally unroofed, and some old galvanized iron roofings may be peeled off,” PAGASA said.
In a memorandum issued on Sunday, the Regional Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council head Jose Roberto Nuñez raised the status of its Operations Center into “Blue Alert” effective Monday, December 2, 2019 at 8:00 a.m.
Based on the situational report of RDRRMC, 47 rolling cargos, 15 vessels, and 240 passengers were stranded in the Dumangas Port, Arrastre Pier, and the Fast Craft Terminal in Iloilo Ity.
Motorbanca trips transiting in Iloilo to Guimaras route and vice versa were also temporarily suspended past afternoon on Monday due to Typhoon Tisoy.
Meanwhile, suspension of classes from pre-school to kindergarten both private and public were also declared in Iloilo City, Bacolod City, and several municipalities in the provinces of Capiz, Aklan, Antique, and Negros Occidental on Monday.
As of 4:00 p.m. of Monday, PAGASA said the eye of Typhoon Tisoy was located based on all available data at 155 km East of Juban, Sorsogon.
With a maximum sustained wind of 155 kph near the center and gustiness of up to 190 kph, Tisoy is moving west at 15 kph.
PAGASA advised the residents to prepare flashlights, batteries, matches, kerosene lamps, or candles and charcoal in anticipation of power failure, first aid kit and store ready to eat foods; keep your cell phones fully charged; elevate household things in case of flooding, and for fishing folks, secure fishing boats in safe area.
