Storm ‘Inday’ slows down but ‘Juan’ enters RP

[A_flyer]

If you want to follow the situation on typhoons around the Philippines, have a look on these sites:

http://www.typhoon2000.ph/

http://tsr.mssl.ucl.ac.uk/

http://210.23.201.243/wb/tcupdate.shtml (Pagasa official site)


Storm ‘Inday’ slows down but ‘Juan’ enters RP

The Philippine Star - August 9, 2006

While tropical storm "Inday" is still unleashing her fury over extreme northern Luzon, another typhoon has entered the country yesterday morning.

The Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) said typhoon "Juan," which was previously spotted over the Northern Pacific Ocean, penetrated the Philippine area of responsibility before noon yesterday.

The two weather disturbances are expected to enhance the southwest monsoon, bringing rains over the western sections of the country.

"Inday" was monitored at 400 kilometers northeast of Basco in Batanes or 400 kilometers east northeast of Kaoshiung in Southern Taiwan, Pagasa said.

"Inday" packed maximum center winds of 85 kilometers per hour and gusts of up to 100 kph.

Public Storm Signal Number 1 has been hoisted over Basco, the Batanes and Babuyan group of islands.

Inday was forecast to be 300 kilometers north-northeast of Basco today, Pagasa said.

By tomorrow, it is expected to be 190 kilometers north of Basco and 160 kilometers west-northwest of Basco and 180 kilometers south of southern Taiwan by Friday.
— Sheila Crisostomo

[scotsfiancee]

Huge waves, landslides kill 7
By Julie Alipala, Aquiles Zonio, Eldie Aguirre
Inquirer
Last updated 04:15am (Mla time) 08/11/2006

Published on Page A15 of the August 11 2006 issue of the Philippine Daily Inquirer

ZAMBOANGA CITY—At least seven people were killed while five others were missing when natural calamities hit Tawi-Tawi and Davao del Sur, officials said yesterday.

In Tawi-tawi, tropical storm “Inday” triggered huge waves early yesterday, which swept away houses on stilts owned by the Samah people in the towns of Tandubas, Sitangkay and Mapun, according to Gov. Sadikul Sahali.

“Everyone was caught by surprise when the waves hit. One child was killed while another one remains missing,” Sahali said.

He said strong winds triggered the waves that flattened many houses.

Sahali said it was fortunate that the Samah people were good swimmers because their skills greatly reduced the number of casualties.

Sahali said the damage caused by the waves has yet to be known as they were giving priority to providing assistance to displaced families numbering about 500.

[A_flyer]

Storm ‘Bopha’ hits Tawi-Tawi

The Manila Times - August 11, 2006

ZAMBOANGA CITY: Tropical storm Bopha left a trail of destruction in the southern island of Tawi-Tawi, where rescuers were searching for a still undetermined number of people reported missing, officials said on Thursday. Officials said some 1,000 houses built on stilts were destroyed by huge waves and strong winds that battered three villages the past two days.

“We are still searching for those who are missing. We are trying to find out how many people are missing, but some 1,000 houses were destroyed by the storm,” Albert Que, the mayor of Bongao, told reporters in Zamboanga City.

“Many people left homeless by the storm are staying in mosques, schools and gyms, and we need more provisions,” Que said.

Que said social workers have distributed rice and noodles in evacuation centers. “We still don’t know the exact number of evacuees, but our concern now is to find the missing and feed all these people,” he said.

The weather bureau said Bopha was headed for Taiwan.
--Al Jacinto

[A_flyer]

Typhoons leave 11 dead in Zamboanga Peninsula

The Manila Times - August 14, 2006

ZAMBOANGA CITY: Six people were reported killed and five others missing and feared dead while 150 houses were destroyed on Friday when two typhoons slammed Zamboanga Peninsula in southern Philippines, authorities said.

Among the dead include a family of four, who were buried in a mudslide in Barangay Binawing in Sibuco, Zamboanga del Norte. They were asleep when Typhoon Inday and Juan battered the region.

A 17-year-old boy was killed when a flying galvanized iron sheet slashed his neck in a west-coast barangay in this city.

The sixth fatality was a 30-year-old construction worker who was driving his motorcycle near the coast when swept by giant waves.

City Social Welfare and Development Officer Francisco Barredo said the missing were four fishermen and a 14-year-old boy who were caught fishing at mid sea.
--PNA

[A_flyer]

‘Katrina’ leaves 6 dead

The Philippine Star - August 15, 2006

Landslides and flash floods triggered by heavy rains have killed at least six people and destroyed eight villages in Mindanao, displacing thousands of residents, rescuers said yesterday.

A new tropical storm sighted east of Luzon is expected to intensify the monsoon rains over the next two days, weather forecasters said.

The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) said tropical storm "Katrina" intensified as it moved east-northeast away from the country.

The worst-hit areas were in Mindanao where flash floods, mudslides and unusually high tides destroyed bridges, villages and farmland in three provinces.

Just outside the town of Aurora in Zamboanga del Sur, a bus with 38 people was washed into a ravine by floodwaters but no one was killed, according to one report.

Mayor Enrique Cabahug said the passengers climbed to safety with only seven people being injured. "They were very lucky," he said.

However, another report said three people were killed and seven others injured when two passenger buses, both owned by Rural Transit Inc., were swept away by a landslide as the vehicles were traversing a narrow mountain road in Barangay Anonang in Aurora at 6 p.m. Sunday.

The bus with body number 1546, in which the three fatalities were riding, was buried by mud. The other bus fell a few meters from the side of the road.

The report identified the fatalities as Delma Alam, reportedly a postmaster from Tungawan town in Zamboanga Sibugay; Felicitas Guyab and a still unidentified person whose gender was not indicated in the report.

Rescue teams from Iligan City and nearby cities and provinces immediately rushed to Anonang to assist in the rescue effort and clear the mountain road of debris using heavy equipment sent by the Aurora municipal government and the provincial government.

Zamboanga del Sur Gov. Aurora Cerilles said seven municipalities and the provincial capital Pagadian had been hit by mudslides, flash floods and sudden rise of tides in coastal villages.

She said at least six people were killed when mudslides swept through villages.

"So far we have recovered five bodies and are looking for a child," Cerilles said.

One pregnant woman was killed when the Roman Catholic chapel in which she had sought shelter with her family was swept away by mud.

Boulders and loose earth rolled down the mountainside along a 10-kilometer stretch of coastal highway between Kapatagan town in Lanao del Norte province and Pagadian on the Moro Gulf side of the island, provincial disaster relief officials said.

The landslides cut off parts of the highway and residents fled to a government shelter in Kapatagan, they added.

Water was so deep in some neighborhoods that residents were forced to climb on top of their shanties, where they waited for hours before disaster response teams plucked them to safety, officials said.

At least five people drowned or were killed in landslides in Kapatagan, said regional police commander Chief Superintendent Florante Baguio.

The southern and central Philippines have been hit by a spate of bad weather this month, with huge waves inundating coastal areas, destroying more than 1,200 homes.

Pagasa said Katrina was monitored 840 kilometers east of Aparri, Cagayan packing maximum center winds of 65 kilometers per hour. Katrina was moving east northeast at 17 kph.

Pagasa said while Katrina would not directly affect any part of the country, it would intensify the southwest monsoon that brings rain over western Visayas and the western sections of central and southern Luzon.

Katrina was forecast to be 1,160 kilometers east northeast of Cagayan this morning.

"Residents in these areas are advised to take all the necessary precautions against possible flash floods, landslides and monsoon surge," Pagasa said.

The Philippines is hit by about 20 storms and typhoons a year.
— Lino de la Cruz, Sheila Crisostomo, AFP, AP