Project Noah simulation identifies areas in as likely to experience storm surge; thunderstorm forecast over Metro Cebu

56 barangays on storm surge watch – DOST

Alert levels were up as tropical depression Domeng drew closer to Philippine soil yesterday.

Domeng – international name Peipah – is the fourth weather disturbance to hit the country this year.

No storm signals have been raised as of 9 p.m. last night but authorities are not taking things lightly and have started to ramp-up emergency response preparations.

According to the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa), Domeng was, as of 4 p.m. yesterday, Domeng weakened to 55 kilometers-per-hour maximum sustained winds while located at 670 kilometers east of Davao  City. It was downgraded from tropical storm to tropical depression. Although it continues to move in a West Northwest direction it’s cruise speed slowed from 20 kph to 13 kph.

Landfall is projected around 8 a.m. of April 10 in the vicinity of Hinatuan, Surigao del Sur.

Pagasa forecast moderate to heavy rains of 5 to 15 mm rains per hour  within Domeng’s 400 kilometer diameter.

An advisory issued by Pagasa at 9:25 p.m. said a  thunderstorm is more likely to develop over Metro Cebu within 12 hours.

Central Visayas together with Mindanao, Eastern Visayas and Cagayan Valley  are forecast to have cloudy skies with scattered rainshowers and thunderstorms.

The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) declared a blue alert which means they are “to continuously monitor and disseminate” weather bulletins through the provincial and local councils.

Blue alert level status means that half of the members of the NDRRMC are on standby for any occurrences.

The Department of Science and Technology’s Project Noah (Nationwide Operational Assessment of Hazards) yesterday released a list of areas where storm surge and tides with combined heights reaching over two meters are predicted due to Domeng.

Over 100 localities in the Visayas were listed — including at least 56 villages mostly in the southern portion of Cebu – where the storm surge and tides are expected to hit on Wednesday.

“The list is a model run with 4,884 stations [using the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) Storm Surge Model] from specified localities with storm surge + tide values,” Project Noah said in a statement.

However, when Pagasa downgraded Domeng into a tropical depression, the projected number of areas that would likely be affected by a storm surge also lowered.

At 6 p.m., Project Noah’s data showed that the highest storm surge brought by Domeng is only 0.63 meter.

Storm Surge brought by Tropical Depression Domeng

A storm surge is a rise in ocean water caused by a typhoon and happens when there is already a high tide. The surge depends on where the wind blows at the time the eye of the typhoon hits a specific area.

The high death toll when supertyphoon Yolanda hit Tacloban City was caused by a storm surge.

Oscar Tabada, Pagasa Mactan weather station chief, said however, that despite the apparent weakening of the storm, the possibility of encountering a storm surge remains.

“Kung dili pa siya (Domeng) mabungkag, possible nga naay storm surge gihapon nga mahitabo pero ato pa nang i-monitor,” he said.

(Unless the storm dissipates, there is still the possibility that a storm surge would occur that’s why we continue to monitor the situation).

Adilbert Bruce, coordinator of the Municipal Planning and Development Office of Badian told town Cebu Daily News they already have oriented the barangay officials on what to do during possible disasters. Badian is among the towns listed in the storm surge alert of Project Noah.

“We have enough evacuation sites located in elevated areas if ever there would be evacuation that will happen,” he said.

In Alegria town, the municipal government have readied trucks, generator sets, and chain saws for immediate deployment to the coastal barangays of Sta. Filomena, Poblacion, Madridejos, and Legaspi which were also listed by Project Noah.

“It is better to be prepared and ready,” Mayor Verna Magallon told Cebu Daily News.

In Cebu City, Mayor Michael Rama yesterday convened City Hall’s department heads and invited Pagasa’s Tabada for a briefing on Domeng.

“Everyone has to be made aware that notwithstanding summer, nobody can stop its (storm) arrival. It’s expected by Wednesday or Thursday. But this is more of the rain than the wind,” Rama told reporters.

Councilor Dave Tumulak, head of the city’s Command Control Center (C3), said the city government has pre-positioned  earth-moving equipment at the city’s mountainous barangays. Barangay officials were also told to conduct preemptive evacuation should the weather take a turn for the worse.

“The barangay officials are given the call to evacuate the residents if there is already a need to,” he said.

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