Storms’ damage reaches P38.79B, says NDCC

DAMAGE FROM three successive storms has reached P38.79 billion, with northeast monsoon-induced rains threatening to further inflict destruction in Luzon, the National Disaster Coordinating Council said in separate reports yesterday.

Damage from tropical storm Ondoy (international name: Ketsana) and typhoon Pepeng (Parma) reached P 11.106 billion and P27.195 billion, respectively, NDCC said in its 6 a.m. report.

Meanwhile, damage tab from typhoon Santi (Mirinae) reached P491.538 million, or P304.61 million to infrastructure, P97.97 to agriculture, P37.05 million to fisheries, P45.41 million to schools and P 6.5 million to private property, the council said in a separate report.

At least 955 persons were killed by the three storms.

In a related development, at least 6,822 families in Isabela and Aurora provinces are staying in eight evacuation centers due to floods, NDCC said.

Provincial roads in landslide- and flood-hit parts of Isabela, Cagayan and Aurora remain impassable, the council said, adding 18 barangays in Aurora remain submerged in knee- to waist-deep water brought about by monsoon rains.

In a separate phone interview, Nathaniel A. Cruz, chief weather forecaster of the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical & Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA), said heavy rains brought by the northeast monsoon swamped low-lying parts of northeastern Luzon.

He said the weather bureau’s station in Casiguran, Aurora recorded 72.7 millimeters of rainfall yesterday.

Northeast monsoon winds, which can reach 50 to 65 kilometers per hour, will result in rough seas in the eastern seaboard of the country, he said, adding the easterly wave, winds which originate on the Pacific Ocean, will dump occasional rains on eastern Mindanao.

Meanwhile, Angat dam in Bulacan is releasing water at 62 cubic meters per second as its reservoir has reached critical level, the weather bureau said.

"Residents near the river particularly in the municipalities of Norzagaray, Angat, San Rafael, Bustos, Baliwag, Pulilan and Hagonoy are advised to take all precautionary measures," it added. -- A. M. Paglinawan

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Storms’ damage reaches P38.79B, says NDCC