Workers rush to pack relief goods for supertyphoon Yolanda survivors in this December 22, 2014 photo. (CDN FILE PHOTO)
Storm to hit land Saturday; Cebu City to evacuate coastal sitios on Friday
Cebu province is among 45 critical areas , mostly in the Visayas, that will feel the full impact of typhoon Ruby if it makes landfall on Saturday, said the weather bureau.
This means travel by land, sea and air in these areas would be “dangerous” due to heavy to intense rain, and winds of 100 kph to 170 kph.
There is a 75 percent chance the typhoon, whose international name is Hagupit, would make landfall in Eastern Visayas on Saturday.
There is a 25 percent chance the storm would do a recurve and head to southern Japan, sparing the Philippines, said Jun Dalida, assistant director of the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) in a briefing in Manila.
A list of critical areas which may be affected was released by the weather bureau. (See list on page 27)
“Being prepared should start with the family,” said Oliva Luces, regional director of the Office for Civil Defense, who led a whole-day coordination meeting in Cebu City.
Be ready with food supplies, water, medicine for three-day supply, she said.
The storm, which is traveling over the water, is expected to enter the Philippine area of responsibility today or tomorrow.
It gained strength with 160 kph center winds and 190 kph gusts when it was located off 1,278 kilomters east Hinatuan, Surigao del Sur at 5 p.m. yesterday.
If it intensifies, the storm could be as strong as Yolanda, which devastated Eastern Visayas, including north Cebu, on Nov. 8 with 235 kph winds.
With the memory of Yolanda still fresh in their minds, the biggest lesson of that disaster is the need to be prepared.
“Never panic. Prepare and help others prepare,” said Cerwin Eviota, public relations consultant.
He said that as early as Tuesday, he started preparing extra supply of gasoline, emergency lights, food, first aid kit and medicine supply.
Those living in flood-prone areas, should keep their important documents and belongings from being wet, he said.
Islands Souvenir CEO Jay Aldeguer who has several retail outlets all over the country, said he’s started alerting his employees and giving them weather updates and emergency numbers.
“We are ready to suspend operations in areas that are high targets or where the typhoon is most likely to hit,” he said.
Businesswoman Melanie Ng, who was active in the Bangon Sugbo campaign after the Bohol quake and Yolanda, said households should remember to charge their flashlights and electronic gadgets, including external battery packs.
“’Buy solar chargers if available. Next to water and food, communication is key in times of crisis,” she said.
Pagasa said the list of 45 provinces under Alert Level C, including Cebu, should be ready to expect heavy damage to agriculture.
Some large trees can be uprooted. There may be moderate to heavy disruption of electrical power and communication services.
On Monday, region 7 was placed on red alert status by the National Disaster Council but Luces said the region had been on red status even before typhoon Queenie struck last week.
In yesterday’s coordination meeting, Pagasa weather forecaster Meyma Casilagan said the new storm will follow the path supertyphoon Yolanda took last year.
By Saturday, Dec. 6, Visayas will experience cloudy skies with moderate to heavy rainshowers.
The target is zero casualty or no loss of human life. In Cebu province, barangay-level early warning systems are key.
The Association of Barangay Captains (ABC) has been alerted, said Baltazar Tribunalo, head of the Cebu PDRRMO.
Radios should turned on in every barangay.
“AM and FM radios will do. So that when final instructions come, it will easily be shared,” said Tribunalo.
The contingency plan for Cebu province, crafted two months ago, is based on a scenario of 300-kph winds hitting the province, he said.
“We are aiming for zero casualties. It may sound ambitious but that’s what the local government unit should have in mind,” he said.
“The destruction of homes, we can take. But let’s not allow people to die, get injured, or become lost.”
Classrooms are being identified as evacuation centers by the Department of Education, through school principals.