CEBU CITY, Philippines— At least 322 families or 1,299 individuals from five towns in northern Cebu have spent Christmas eve in evacuation centers.
The local disaster offices of the towns of Daanbantayan, Poro, San Francisco, Santa Fe, and Madridejos, and the cities of Bogo and Danao have implemented preemptive evacuations due to the strong winds and rains brought by Typhoon Ursula on Christmas eve, December 24, 2019.
Daanbantayan town has so far experienced most of Ursula’s wrath with 76 families or 382 individuals from its island and coastal barangays have been evacuated.
Rhee Telen Jr. of the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (PDRRMO) said even the LDRRM office in Daanbantayan had been damaged from the strong winds.
The Local DRRM personnel have transferred operations in the town’s cultural center.
The Maya-Bagay road has also been rendered impassable due to fallen trees.
WATCH THE FULL INTERVIEW HERE: https://www.facebook.com/cdndigital/videos/361888488017080/
Telen said they are already cordinating with the Provincial Social Welfare and Development Office (PSWDO) and the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD-7) for relief assistance.
As of midnight today, December 25, Typhoon Ursula is located 34 kilometer northeast of Santa Fe town in Bantayan Island.
Typhoon Ursula is moving west northwest at 25 kilometers per hour with maximum sustained winds of 130 kph and 200 kph.
As Ursula starts to skirt away from the province, Telen said no casualties had been reported to their office yet.
The PDRRMO is also coordinating with the Provincial Engineering Office (PEO) for the clearing of fallen trees./dbs