THE government ordered evacuations, stockpiled food and put soldiers on standby in preparation for Typhoon Yinxing, officials said, as the storm barrels towards northeastern towns where it could make landfall this week.
The storm centre of the typhoon, packing winds of 120kph was estimated to be 590km from the eastern town of Baler in the province of Aurora, according to the state weather agency Pag-asa.
The local government ministry had called for those in remote communities to evacuate in advance as rescuers could prove unable to reach them during the onslaught of the storm, Defence Secretary Gilberto Teodoro said yesterday.
“Various government agencies have combined efforts to issue early warnings, plan ahead and pre-position the goods and services needed,” Teodoro told a briefing.
Food is being stockpiled, soldiers are on standby to help in rescue efforts and dams are releasing water ahead of time to prevent flooding, according to officials.
Based on estimates, the storm could hit land between tomorrow evening and Friday morning around the northern province of Cagayan.
It is projected to bring torrential rain to towns in its path, said weather agency official Nathaniel Servando, though it could still swerve away.
An estimated 24 million people could find themselves directly affected by the typhoon, said civil defence administrator Ariel Nepomuceno.
The storm is the third in less than a month to menace the Philippines, after Storm Trami and Super Typhoon Kong-rey pounded the main island of Luzon in recent weeks, killing 151, with 21 missing, civil defence figures showed.
“We have learned a lot. That’s why our processes have been adjusted,” Teodoro added at the briefing.
Around 20 tropical storms strike the Philippines each year on average, bringing heavy rains, strong winds and deadly landslides. — Reuters
