Eastern Visayas feels Tisoy impact: Thousands displaced, power cut, houses torn to pieces

TACLOBAN CITY–Typhoon Tisoy like a sledgehammer barrelled through Eastern Visayas on Monday, Dec. 2, sending more than 3,200 families fleeing their homes and seeking refuge at government evacuation venters.

Winds exceeding 100 kilometers per hour toppled electric posts and heavy rains sent many areas under water.

Local government units announced suspension of classes on Tuesday, Dec. 3, to keep students out of harm’s way.

The entire population of Mapanas town, Northern Samar province, which has 13 villages, had to be moved out of their homes.

Joe Louis Gajutas, disaster response management officer, said worst hit were the coastal villages of Del Sur, Del Norte, Manaybanay and E. Leodeno where the turbulent sea flipped waves the size of ships at the houses of more than 1,000 families, tearing these into pieces.

The villages, facing the Pacific Ocean, had been all but wiped out.

“We have suffered major damage,” said Gajutos. On Tuesday, he said, the municipal risk reduction and management council will recommend the declaration of a state of calamity by the local government.

Evacuees had to be transferred to another shelter, the town gym, when the roof of their original evacuation site, the Mapanas Central School, was torn off by the winds.

Flooding has been reported in the towns of Gamay, Mondragon, San Roque and Laoang, Northern Samar.

Police in the region reported at least 3,293 families had been displaced in the provinces of Leyte, Southern Leyte, Samar, Northern Samar, Eastern Samar and Biliran.

There were no reports of casualties so far but Tisoy cut off electric supply in many areas since 8 p.m. on Monday.

Sea travel had been cancelled on a massive scale, leaving 1,856 passengers stranded.