Storm signal warning in Cebu lifted; evacuees start to return home

CEBU CITY, Philippines— Residents from high-risk areas in Cebu who were preemptively evacuated on Monday, December 2, 2019, have started to return to their homes as the weather improved on Tuesday morning, December 3, 2019.

A total of 1,488 families, or 7,376 individuals, from ten local government units in the northern and central portion of Cebu were preemptively evacuated due to the threat of Typhoon Tisoy

But as of 11 a.m., the Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) has lifted the public storm warning signal for northern Cebu.

Read: Storm warning signal in Metro Cebu, southern Cebu lifted

“As of this morning, the evacuees have started returning to their homes since the weather is getting fine,” said Rhee Telen Jr. of the Cebu Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Division.

The Municipality of Daanbantayan, located in the northern tip of the province, logged the highest number of evacuees with 778 families or 4,126 affected individuals from 20 villages which are mostly coastal.

Telen also said there were no damages reported in their office despite that the northern side of the province was under Signal No. 2 and the remaining parts were under Signal no. 1.

Rough seas

At 10 a.m., Typhoon Tisoy was spotted around 55 km East of Calapan City, Oriental Mindoro as it continues to move west at 25 kph. Tisoy has maximum sustained winds of 150 kph near the center and gustiness of up to 205 kph.

Sea conditions, however, remain unfavorable in the seaboards of the whole Visayas.

Rough to very rough sea conditions are still expected with waves that may reach up to 4.5 meters high, according to the 11 a.m. gale warning issued by Pagasa.

Lieutenant Junior Grade Michael John Encina, spokesman of the Philippine Coast Guard District Central Visayas (PCG-7), said some vessels in Cebu and Bohol have already been allowed to sail upon the discretion of the substations where the ports are located.

“Lifted trips are Cebu to Bohol and Bohol to Cebu [for vessels] above 250 gross tonnage pero depende pa rin sa mga substation commanders kung papabyahe sila depende sa sea condition,” said Encina.

Among those that already resumed trips were vessels sailing from Jagna, Bohol to Nasipit, Agusan del Sur and Tagbilaran City to Larena, Siquijor. /bmjo