Thousands of evacuated by the rains of ‘Quinta’

Residents evacuate from their home in the coastal city of Legaspi, Albay province south of Manila, on October 25, 2020, ahead of the expected landfall of Tropical Storm Molave. (Photo by Charism SAYAT / AFP)

LEGAZPI CITY – Thousands of residents were forced to evacuate when Tropical Storm Quinta (international name: Molave) dumped rains over three regions in southern Luzon before making landfall at the eastern tip of Bicol on Sunday night.

In a bulletin, the state meteorological office said the strong storm would likely intensify further before making landfall.

As of Sunday afternoon, Quinta was estimated to be 70 kilometers east-northeast of Legazpi city in Albay province, moving west at 25 km per hour according to the Philippine Astronomical, Geophysical and Atmospheric Services Administration.

It carried maximum winds of up to 130 km per hour near the center and gusts of up to 160 km / h.

Most of the evacuated residents came from areas prone to landslides, flash floods, storm surge and lahar. By late Sunday afternoon, the number of evacuees rose to 11,217 families or 47,646.

At 5 pm, the tropical cyclone wind signal (TCWS) No. 3 rose over Catanduanes, Albay, Sorsogon, Burias and Ticao Islands, and the eastern part of Camarines Sur.

Camarines Norte, the rest of Camarines Sur, Masbate, central and southern parts of Quezon, the southeastern part of Laguna, Batangas, Marinduque, Romblon, Oriental Mindoro, Occidental Mindoro, including Lubang Island, and Northern Samar were placed under TCWS No. 2.

In Camarines Sur, at least 10,000 families or 45,000 people in high-risk areas were evacuated in 11 locations.

Estel Estropia, information officer of the Provincial Council for Disaster Risk Management and Reduction (PDRRMC), said that relief workers had been sent to the cities of Sangay, Buhi, Bula, Nabua, Cabusao, Lagonoy, Calabanga, Libmanan, Tinambac , Pasacao and Balatan to supervise the evacuation.

In Catanduanes, at least 71 families or 341 people were instructed to leave their homes in the towns of Pandan, Bato, Bagamanoc, Baras and Caramoran, disaster response official Jerry Beo said.

In Albay, 1,127 families or 2,230 people in low-lying communities were transferred to temporary shelters in the cities of Guinobatan, Malinao, Camalig and Manito.

Cedric Daep, head of Albay’s Office of Emergency Management and Public Safety, said the agency had ordered all barangays to evacuate families living in areas that could be affected by flooding amid the looming storm. .

seaside

In Ligao City, Mayor Patricia González-Alsua said the local government was “insuring” between 3,000 and 4,000 families who are threatened by flash floods, landslides, lahar currents and storm surge in coastal areas.

The mayor of the OAS, Domingo Escoto Jr., ordered the evacuation of 350 families in five villages.

In Libon, Mayor Das Maronilla said more than 27 flood-prone villages were being monitored as the Talisay, Morocmoc and Quinale rivers began to rise.

Flash floods generated by Quinta’s rains on Sunday morning submerged more than a hundred houses in Cagbulacao, a low-lying village in the town of Bacacay on Cagraray Island, which is part of Albay.

Bryan Berdin, head of the Municipal Office for Disaster Risk Reduction and Management, said the rains had forced a river channel already filled with sediment to overflow.

Landslides in Laguna

In the city of Calamba and other parts of Laguna province, families also fled their homes amid warnings of floods and landslides.

Aldwin Cejo, the provincial head of disaster response, said 11 families or 46 people had sought refuge at an evacuation site in Barangay Bucal, Calamba, at 2 p.m. Sunday.

In Louisiana, a landslide occurred in the village of San Antonio, uprooting a large tree from a cliff. Cejo said the road had since been cleared.

Floods were also reported in the village of Concepción in the city of Lumban and in the village of Bakia in the city of Majayjay.

Canceled trips

More than 600 passengers have been stranded in the ports of Bicol after sea voyages were canceled since Saturday afternoon.

The Philippine Coast Guard in Bicol reported that 127 passengers were stranded in Albay, 31 in Masbate and 519 in Sorsogon as of noon on Sunday.

Approximately 300 rolling loads, 37 fishing vessels and two motor boats were unable to leave the ports.

In the city of Calapan, Oriental Mindoro, trips by sea were canceled, leaving 101 vehicles stranded.

The Provincial Office of Disaster Management and Risk Reduction in Occidental Mindoro canceled sea voyages to Batangas. Trips from Batangas were already canceled on Saturday night.

Search and rescue personnel in Mindoro, Marinduque, Romblon, the Palawan region were ready for deployment, according to the regional police command.

Storm road

Pagasa said Quinta was expected to leave Philippine territory via the Western Philippine Sea on Tuesday afternoon.

TWCS No. 1 was declared over the rest of Quezon, the rest of Laguna, Rizal, Cavite, Metro Manila, Bulacan, Pampanga, Bataan, the southern portion of Zambales, and the Calamian Islands in Luzon.

The same warning sign had been hoisted over the northern part of Samar, the northern part of eastern Samar, Aklan, the northern part of Antique and the northeastern parts of Iloilo. – REPORTS FROM MA. APRIL MIER-MANJARES, MAR S. ARGUELLES, MICHAEL JAUCIAN, MADONNA T. VIROLA, MARICAR CINCO, JHESSET O. ENANO AND REUTERS INQ

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