Posted on 11/30/2004 7:01:18 AM PST by bd476
QUEZON PROVINCE, Philippines, Nov 30 - "More than 300 people died after flash floods and landslides devastated three coastal towns and left swathes of the northern Philippines under water on Tuesday.
The death toll was expected to rise as rescuers were unable to reach areas cut off by huge mudslides and fast-moving floodwater in the wake of tropical depression Winnie and as the country braced for another powerful storm.
At least 306 people died in the towns of Real, Infanta and General Nakar in Quezon province, about 80 km (50 miles) east of Manila, Social Welfare Secretary Corazon Soliman told television.
Soliman said 150 people were still missing in Real, where witnesses said a torrent of logs and mud had swept down from the Sierra Madre mountains during Monday night's downpour.
Rampant illegal logging has been blamed for leaving towns vulnerable to landslides, a factor in several disasters in recent years.
"We think that illegal logging can be one of the main reasons why floods affected those towns," said Jayjay Suarez, vice governor of Quezon province.
The National Disaster Coordinating Committee said at least 21 people were killed in other provinces in the main northern island of Luzon.
Armand Balilo, a spokesman for the coastguard, said that 12 people rescued from Real were in critical condition.
"The critically wounded had fractured legs, with pieces of wood piercing their legs. Some had lacerations on their bodies," he said.
A spokesman for President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo said she would return early from a summit of Southeast Asian nations in Laos on Tuesday night to help coordinate the rescue operations..."
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonpost.com ...
Death Toll in Philippines Storms Tops 300
20 minutes ago
"The death toll from landslides and flash floods in the eastern Philippines jumped to nearly 340 with 150 others missing Tuesday, after a second rainstorm hit a region still reeling from last week's deadly typhoon.
Social Welfare Secretary Corazon Soliman, who returned to Manila late Tuesday afternoon from an aerial survey of the area, said 306 people were killed and 150 missing in Quezon province overnight, about 40 miles east of Manila.
The Office of Civil Defense reported 19 were killed in Aurora province, eight in Rizal province, and one each in the Manila suburb of Marikina and Camarines Norte province. Other officials reported three died in Bulacan province north of Manila.
Soliman told ABS-CBN television that bad weather and roads blocked by landslides and submerged in flood waters prevented authorities from delivering relief supplies and rescuing people on rooftops.
Helicopters had to drop food packs to those on rooftops because there was no place to land, she said.
She most of the dead were in three Quezon towns: Real, Infanta and General Nakar. At least 150 were reported missing in Real, she said.
Officials were arranging for a coast guard boat to reach the three Quezon towns facing the Pacific Ocean, from where a new typhoon was approaching..." (End excerpt. Link follows to rest of story.)
"Philipines villagers use a ladder to cross a bridge connecting the eastern Philippine towns of Infanta and General Nakar.
Rescuers were desperately searching for survivors after floods and landslides unleashed by a tropical storm in the Philippines killed more than 300 people and left at least 150 others missing, many buried alive under tonnes of debris." (AFP/Joel Nito)
"Murky floodwaters submerge roads, farms and villages, turning the area into a virtual lake in Nueva Ecija province, northern Philippines on Tuesday Nov. 30, 2004.
The death toll from landslides and flash floods in the eastern Philippines rose to at least 49 Tuesday, and disaster officials said that it could top 100 people in a region still reeling from last week's deadly typhoon." (AP Photo/Aaron Favila)
Devastating floods from Tropical Storm Winnie in the Philippines Ping.
"At 2 a.m. today, the eye of typhoon "Yoyong" was located based on satellite and surface data at 1015 kms east of Guiuan, Eastern Samar (10.7°N 135.2°E) with maximum sustained winds of 150 kph and gustiness up to 185 kph. It is forecast to move west northwest at 35 kph." PAGASA (Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration).
Wednesday, December 01, 2004
By Ronnie E. Calumpita, Reporter
"A strong typhoon is expected to follow the path of three others that caused death and destruction as they crossed the Philippines in the last two weeks.
The tropical storm, with the international code name of “Nanmadol,” was gaining strength as it churned across the Pacific Ocean, said Nonoy About, a weather forecaster of the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration.
On Tuesday afternoon Nanmadol was 1,530 kilometers east-southeast of the Visayas, moving on a north-northwesterly track at 33 kilometers an hour.
It was being powered by 85 kph winds gusting up to 100 kph.
Nanmadol will be named “Yoyong” once it enters the country Wednesday night or Thursday morning.
It is predicted to strengthen to 110 kph by the time it reaches Philippine territory.
It is possible Nanmadol could intensify into a supertyphoon with winds of more than 200 kph, About said..." (End excerpt. Link to story follows)
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'Winnie' leaves 348 dead
GMA cuts short Laos trip to oversee relief operations 150 missing as floods, slides hit Eastern Luzon
"The death toll from landslides and flashfloods spawned by tropical storm “Winnie” rose to at least 348, with 150 others missing yesterday, most of them from the Central Luzon region still reeling from last week’s deadly typhoon.
Social Welfare Secretary Corazon Soliman said 348 people were killed and 150 missing in the provinces in east Luzon affected by heavy downpour, with Quezon, Aurora and Nueva Ecija as the hardest-hit areas. The Philippine National Police (PNP) reported fatalities of at least 195 in the three towns of General Nakar, Real and Infanta in Quezon, broken down as follows: Real, 94; General Nakar, 92; and Infanta, 9. The Office of Civil Defense reported 19 were killed in Aurora province, eight in Rizal province, and one each in Marikina City and Camarines Norte. Other officials reported three died in Bulacan. Soliman told a television network that bad weather and roads blocked by landslides and submerged in floodwaters prevented authorities from delivering relief supplies and rescuing people on rooftops. Neri Amparo, operations chief in the OCD, said bad weather had forced some rescue helicopters to turn back from areas where many people were stranded on rooftops. Reuben Sindac, police intelligence chief in Quezon, quoted a colleague as saying he saw 10-20 bodies floating in the floodwaters. He said police communications equipment and vehicles in Infanta were damaged and the whole town was underwater. Among the fatalities in Rizal were: Rina and Gilbert Baybayan; Fred Lopez; Leo, Lendo and Roberto Quizan, and; Ustad Janjamal. They were killed when at least four barangays in Montalban town were hit with flashfloods. Radio DZBB, quoting military and local officials, reported three people drowned in Bulacan province, but the number has not yet been reflected in civil defense records. Air Force spokesman Lt. Col. Restituto Padilla said that stricken towns in Quezon were inaccessible after swollen rivers washed away bridges and uprooted trees. A bridge connecting General Nakar with Infanta was washed away by rampaging current. Rescuers also received reports of 14 other people missing in Quezon province, said Air Force Col. Alfredo Cayco. A Coast Guard helicopter flew 12 people who were injured in the Quezon landslides to Manila for treatment, most with fractures and some in critical condition, Amparo said. A private helicopter used to survey damage crash-landed in floodwaters in Nueva Ecija province, but the pilot and a radio reporter with him were rescued by a military helicopter. TV footage showed residents stranded on patches of dry land, waving at rescue helicopters. Brown-colored floodwater submerged bridges, and large areas of hillsides were swept away, sending tons of dirt and debris onto roads and toppling coconut trees. One of the most dramatic episodes of the disaster occurred at a highway section near the town of San Leonardo, Nueva Ecija, where about 100 passengers of three buses were rescued by helicopters and rubber boats after being marooned by the overflowing waters of the Pampanga River, local television footage showed. The storm swept away the roof of a house which slammed into the side of two of the buses, while another van lay on its side partially submerged in the water. President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, who decided to cut short her trip to Laos for the ASEAN Summit, sent her condolences to the families of those killed and displaced, Presidential spokesman Ignacio Bunye said. The President ordered the National Disaster Coordinating Council to work closely with local government units in the rescue and relief operations in the five provinces hit by massive flooding. Camarines Sur, Quezon, Rizal, Aurora and Nueva Ecija are among the provinces hit by massive floods. Bunye, in a phone-patch interview with members of the Malacañang Press Corps from Vientiane, Laos, said that the Chief Executive, was set to fly back to Manila at 11 p.m. last night. Nearly 1,800 people elsewhere fled their homes amid rising floodwaters. Officials said poor people living on riverbanks and under bridges might be forcibly evacuated due to the floods. A television station screened aerial footage of Real survivors pointing at 14 bodies sprawled on the ground. Infanta residents blamed the flooding on illegal loggers, who they said were responsible for all the tree trunks washed down by the flood. They said that an entire family had been swept away by the water although they did not give details. Lt. SG Armand Balilo, spokesman of the Philippine Coast Guard, said the town hall of Infanta, which is normally a center for disaster relief, was destroyed by the storm, forcing them to use a local airport for evacuees. Cruz warns of coming typhoon “Yoyong” Defense Secretary Avelino Cruz Jr. he has alerted the Regional Disaster Coordinating Councils (RDCCs) in Bicol, Southern Tagalog and Western Visayas as yet another typhoon, “Yoyong,” approaches the Philippine area of responsibility (PAR). Cruz said super typhoon “Yoyong” can be more devastating than typhoon “Unding” that wrought havoc in in Northern Luzon recently. This will happen if the typhoon does not change its direction, he added. Vice President Noli de Castro and Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Secretary Corazon Soliman also proceeded to Real to lead the relief and rehabilitation efforts there. “We are consistently communicating with Vice President de Castro and Secretary Soliman to determine the priority needs of the victims,” Cruz said. Col. Alma Aldea, chief of the Office of Civil Defense (OCD), said radio reports quoting local officials of Real town claimed that the bodies of at least 114 landslide fatalities have been retrieved in barangays Quililurom, Kawayan, Tignoan, Kapalong and Ilog in the Poblacion area. Meanwhile, the OCD reported massive flooding in the provinces of Nueva Ecija, Aurora and Bulacan in Region 3 and Rizal in Region 4. Nineteen of the 74 fatalities reported by the NDCC were from Dingalan town in Aurora, one in Camarines Norte, seven in Montalban and Pililia in Rizal and one in Marikina City. (Aris R. Ilagan) GMA cuts trip to Laos President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo yesterday decided to cut short her trip to Laos upon receiving reports of the widespread devastation in Southern and Central Luzon wrought by tropical depression “Winnie.” Press Secretary and Presidential Spokesman Ignacio R. Bunye said that the Chief Executive, who was originally scheduled to return early today, was set to fly back to Manila at 11 p.m. last night. The President, along with Bunye and some Cabinet members, is in Vientiane for the 10th Summit of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). Bunye said the President was in touch through wire communications with Defense Secretary Avelino Cruz, chairman of the National Disaster Coordinating Council (NDCC), Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Secretary Corazon “Dinky” Soliman, and other officials involved in rescue and relief operations. NDCC is a coordinating body whose members include the DSWD, the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), the Philippine National Police (PNP), the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), the Department of Health (DoH), and the Department of Transportation and Communications (DoTC). Among the provinces hit by massive flooding were Camarines Sur, Quezon, Rizal, Aurora, and Nueva Ecija. 200 dead in Quezon LUCENA CITY, Quezon – Tropical depression “Winnie” hit the northern part of this province, killing at least 200 residents of Real, Infanta and Gen. Nakar towns, with an undetermined number of persons still missing, police reported here. The Quezon Provincial Police Office said around 90 percent of houses along the coastal barangays of Real were totally damaged, displacing hundreds of families. In Real alone, a little less than 100 people were found dead by rescuers and residents, the report added. In Gen. Nakar, Mayor Hernando Avellaneda estimated about 50 fatalities in his town alone. Heavy rains and flashfloods struck on Monday afternoon, destroying four bridges along the barangays of Tignuan, Talisay, Kinanaliman and Kawayan. As a result, hundreds of vehicles and thousands of passengers on their way to Northern Quezon from Laguna and Metro Manila and vice-versa were stranded. Initial reports said that the bridges were destroyed by huge logs and flitches that surged downstream. These logs, all of them illegally cut from the Sierra Madre, also hit houses and infrastructures in the town, wrecking all of them. In barangay Kiloloron, Real, the camp of 414th Police Provincial Mobile Group (PPMG), the substation of Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) and several resorts and cottages along the coast were totally washed out by the flashfloods. A brand new Toyota Revo owned by Supt. Pablito Duron, group director of 414th PPMG, floated and was eventually smashed into the Pacific Ocean by the rampaging floodwaters. An unidentified priest in Infanta was also reportedly found dead inside his vehicle, which was submerged by the floods. Four towers of Smart Telecommunications and three of Globe were all knocked down by “Winnie.” Several helicopters of the Southern Luzon Command (Solcom) conducted rescue operations. Military teams distributed medicines and relief goods on orders of Maj. Gen. Pedro Cabuay, Solcom chief. Cabuay himself, along with Quezon police director Sr. Supt. Leo Kison and other military and police personnel immediately proceeded to the area. But due to lack of helicopters, a Fast Diesel (FD 317) of the Philippine Navy (PN) detailed with Solcom was also used to ferry the other rescuers and relief goods to the area, said Maj. Jose Broso of the Civil Relations Service (CRS). Broso and some of his men were stranded in Camp Nakar in Lucena City as they gave way to the reporters who boarded the choppers for coverage. (Benjie Antioquia) ‘Winnie’ weakens into a low-pressure area Tropical depression “Winnie” yesterday downgraded into a low pressure area (LPA) as another tropical storm was located in the vicinity of Caroline islands. “Winnie” which developed in the Philippine “area of responsibility” (PAR) last Sunday, yesterday weakened into an LPA only. It was last located at 90 kilometers (kms) westsouthwest of Batangas City with winds of 25 kilometers per hour (kph). Today, Northern and Central Luzon will still be cloudy with scattered rainshowers becoming more frequent over the eastern sections of Luzon and Visayas. The rest of the country however, will also be mostly cloudy with rainshowers and thunderstorms. Meanwhile, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) is currently monitoring the movement of another tropical storm which was still over the Caroline islands yesterday. Tropical storm “Nanmadol” over the Caroline islands was estimated at 1,530 kms east-southeast of Visayas. With winds of 110 kph near the center and gusts of up to 140 kph, the storm was moving west-northwest at 33 kph. Once the storm enters the PAR, it will be named “Yoyong.” (Leslie Ann G. Aquino) Nightmare for Dingalan folk DINGALAN, Aurora – Residents of barangay Paltik who evacuated from their homes and were ready to return to their dwellings days after typhoon “Violeta” had left suffered yet another devastating blow last Monday as tropical depression “Winnie” brought heavy rains caused flashfloods to inundate not only their village but the entire town as well. Mayor Jimmy Ylarde said undetermined number of casualties have already been confirmed in the southern fringes of the towns. Hardest hit were barangays Umiray, Ibuna and Matawe, Ylarde added. So strong was “Winnie” that the it damaged twice the number of houses ruined by “Violeta.” Many were reported missing while those who were hurt were treated in various evacuation centers. “Mas malakas po ang buhos ng ulan kaya’t maraming bahay ang lumubog at nasira,” the mayor said. The covered basketball court that used to be a place for town festivities as it is located on higher ground is now submerged in floodwaters a meter deep, Ylarde said. In a telephone interview, Gov. Bellaflor Angara Castillo said she has directed the provincial and municipal disaster coordinating councils and all local leaders to assist the flood victims and exert all efforts to rescue and evacuate residents. Social Welfare and Development Secretary Corazon Soliman said a rescue helicopter has not been sent immediately to Aurora because of the number of limited aircraft available. (Ariel Avendaño) Navy sends help via Navy craft Philippine Navy flag-officer-in-command Vice Admiral Ernesto de Leon yesterday dispatched Navy Craft 317 carrying 90 sacks of rice and other food items for the victims of tropical storm “Winnie” in Quezon province. Capt. Geronimo Malabanan, Navy’s public information officer, said aside from the 90 sacks of rice, the Navy Craft 317 also brought 10 boxes of sardines, 10 boxes of corned beef and 30 boxes of noodles. The Navy Craft 317, which departed Manila at 1:40 p.m. yesterday, arrived in Real, Quezon at about 5:30 p.m. also yesterday. (Yul Malicse) 5 Nueva Ecija towns under water CAMP AQUINO, Tarlac — Five towns in Nueva Ecija were submerged in floodwaters caused by the heavy downpour Monday night by tropical storm “Winnie,” reports reaching this military camp said on Tuesday. According to Lt. Gen. Romeo Dominguez, commanding officer of the Northern Luzon Command, severely hit was the town of Gapan where 90 percent flooded. Other towns in Nueva Ecija that remained under water were General Tinio, Bongabon, Gabaldon and San Leonardo. Dominguez said that on supervisions by Maj. Gen. Romeo Tolentino and Maj. Gen. Hermogenes Esperon, commanders of the Army’s 7th Infantry Division and NOLCOM Special Operations Command, respectively, six Army M35 trucks and six rubber boats were dispatched for search and rescue operations. Three UH-IH Huey helicopters of the Air Force’s Tactical Operations Group-3 based in this military camp also took off here on Tuesday morning to help in the rescue operations as well as to airlift relief goods to calamity victims. Portions of the MacArthur Highway, the main link of Metro Manila to the Northern Luzon provinces; Tarlac City-Zaragosa route, which links the province to Nueva Ecija; and the Concepcion-Magalang road, an alternate route to the MacArthur Highway, were also flooded. (Fred Roxas) Cabanatuan severely hit by “Winnie” CABANATUAN CITY — Heavy flooding marked the path of tropical storm “Winnie” as it made its way from the Bicol region to the northern part of the country yesterday. As this developed, the number of casualties are expected to rise as dead bodies were still seen floating underneath the General Luna bridge here in barangay Valdefuente after five bodies were recovered by the local police and barangay authorities. As of last night, chest-deep floods hit the towns of Gabaldon, Laur, Bongabon and Palayan City in the east and Gapan City, San Isidro, Cabiao, Jaen, San Antonio in the west. The Aurora-Nueva Ecija road had been rendered impassable. The Gapan-Olongapo road cutting through San Fernando in Pampanga and the Nueva Ecija-Tarlac road were also cut off by floods. Maj. Gen. Romeo Tolentino, of the 7th Infantry Division at Ft. Magsaysay, Palayan City had dispatched troops and motor boats to help in the search and rescue operations while a helicopter from the North Luzon Command had also been sent here to help. In Nueva Ecija, chest-deep flash floods hit the barangays of Gapan City and nearby San Leonardo town. Affected villages were San Lorenzo, Pambuan, Sto. Niño and San Vicente, all in Gapan City, and barangay Castellano in San Leonardo. (Magtanggol C. Vilar) QC residents evacuted Hundreds of families living in low-lying areas in Quezon City were evacuated yesterday from their homes as floodwaters rose when heavy rains battered the National Capital Region. Some areas of the city became unpassable to light and heavy vehicles after main thoroughfares and low-lying barangays were flooded by the heavy downpour. Quezon City Mayor Sonny Belmonte Jr. ordered the city’s rescue teams, the Central Police District Office and the Bureau of Fire Protection to rescue people stranded in their homes. Belmonte reacted to a report that the Angat Dam in Bulacan was about to overflow. Rescued families were taken to several schools in the city and were provided with food and medical attention. (Rico C. Navarro) Six rescued in Marikina river Six persons were rescued, including a 55-year-old grandmother and a 12-year-old boy near the Marcos bridge while 720 families or 3,200 persons were evacuated in Markina City yesterday. All rescued victims are residents of San Mateo and Rodriguez, Rizal living near the Marcos bridge. At least 180 families from the barangays of Malady, Mangka, Bulalak and Sto. Niño were evacuated to differenct schools when the Marikina river overflowed and reached to critical level to 19.2 metres. The minimum level is only 15.5 meters. More then 700 tiangge stalls and five vehicles were washed away by the overflowing Marikina river. (Bert V. Javier) Chopper in rescue operations crashed A two-seater helicopter owned by a reservist officer of the Philippine Air Forces crashed in a busy area of Cabanatuan City in Nueva Ecija yesterday afternoon while assisting in the search and rescue efforts of the PAF for the tropical storm victims. The pilot and his lone passenger escaped serious injuries. PAF spokesman Lt. Col. Resty Padilla identified the pilot as Col. Reynaldo Garcia and passenger DZRH reporter Sonny Casulia. According to Padilla, they were hit by a strong downdraft, causing them to hit the ground. The chopper crashed in barangay Obrero, some five miles northeast of Cabanatuan City. (Anjo Perez and Louie Perez) Solons ask DENR to explain Aurora tragedy Sen. Edgardo Angara yesterday expressed apprehension that Aurora province would continue to lose lives and properties due to wanton deforestation of its mountains, particularly during storms and typhoons. Angara also pressed for the investigation and possible legal sanctions against Department of Environment and Natural Resources officials found sleeping on their job that caused death and injury to scores of residents in Dingalan town in Aurora when storms and typhoons recently hit the country. Angara, whose home province is Aurora, said this current tragedy should serve as an eye-opener for DENR. Sen. Richard Gordon supported Angara by filing a Senate resolution asking DENR to explain the felled logs seen in Dingalan. Gordon, current chairman of the Philippine National Red Cross, also appealed for food, health and financial assistance for the hundreds of families affected by typhoons in Central Luzon, Southern Luzon and the Southern Tagalog provinces. Gordon reiterated his appeal to corporations, business establishments, international donors and the general public to give their support to the PNRC to sustain its ongoing relief operations. (Mario B. Casayuran) Quezon to be placed under state of calamity The National Disaster Coordinating Council has recommended to President Arroyo to place the entire northern part of Quezon under the state of calamity after the recent tropical storm caused the death of many when their houses were buried in landslides, Rep. Rafael Nantes said yesterday. Death toll as of presstime, according to Nantes, was raised to 112 in the town of Real alone excluding the towns of Infanta and General Nakar. Nantes said an Armed Forces of the Philippines helicopter failed to make a trip to Real and nearby towns due to poor visibility while land travel from Lucena City to Real has been hampered by the landslides. Real and Infanta have been under water while people had to climb the roofs of their houses to save themselves from drowning. Nantes said the death toll is expected to rise soon as authorities had finished its rescue operations and uncovered more dead bodies. The local officials of the first district of Quezon are set to meet the President to discuss how to help rebuild and repair government properties badly damaged by the typhoon.( Daniel N. Mangaba) 9 dead, 30 missing in Rizal province RODRIGUEZ, Rizal – At least nine persons were confirmed dead while a total of 30 persons were reportedly missing after heavy rains and flashfloods brought by typhoon “Winnie” hit them. At least six barangays were affected. The fatalities were identified as Robert Quizar, 53, sons Leo 27 and Lando, 25, of Bonifacio St., barangay Rosario Gilbert Baybaya, and his wife Reyna; Alfredo Lopez, Ustad Janjamal, both residents of Sitio Saba, barangay San Jose Bonifacio de Guzman and an unidentified man. The 30 persons reportedly missing are mostly residents near the creek of Sitio Saba, barangay San Jose. Their houses were washed away when the waters overflowed. According to Rodriguez Mayor Pedro Cuerpo, an estimated 2,500 families were evacuated and were temporarily transferred in an evacuation center. Cuerpo also asked the National Disaster and Coordinating Council (NDCC) to place the municipality under a state of calamity. Some residents in the area put the blame on a number of quarry operators and illegal loggers in the mountainous area as the cause of flashfloods. (Madelynne Dominguez) 300 families evacuated RODRIGUEZ, Rizal – At least 300 families were evacuated to higher ground and covered courts as typhoon “Winnie” battered this town. Affected communities were located in barangay San Rafael, particularly Sitio Wawa, Sitio Sabangan and Sitio Sto. Niño. A hanging bridge connecting the village to Sitio Wawa collapsed. This reporter who resides in Sitio Sabangan witnesssed the Wawa River overflowed the other night and washed away the houses of 50 families. Sari-sari stores owned by these families were destroyed, soaking all the merchandise. Yesterday morning, employees of the municipal government and some police officers under chief Supt. Dominador C. Penid went to the barangay and listed the names of those affected. Mayor Pedro S. Cuerpo provided noodles, sardines and rice to affected families. Residents have appealed to the government to help them. More than 100 families living in barangay Rosario Libis of this town were evacuated to the covered courts in front of the municipal hall. Thick mud was the only evidence left of the swirling, eroded soil that mingled with the rainwater dumped by “Winnie.” Some observers have blamed slash-and-burn or swidden (kaingin) farmers for the onrush of the floodwaters, saying they burn trees and transform them into charcoal without thinking that the root systems of those trees hold rainwater that could prevent soil erosion. (Bert C. Javier) ‘Winnie’ inundates Bulacan, NE CAMP OLIVAS, Pampanga — Floods spawned by rains dumped by typhoon “Winnie” killed three persons in Bulacan and inundated 10 towns in the province along with eight other towns in Nueva Ecija, rendering roads and major bridges impassable to all types of vehicles late yesterday morning. The Bulacan Provincial Disaster Coordinating Council (PDCC) identified the fatalities as Buenaventura Cruz, 63, of barangay Sulucan, Angat, and Ana Bacual, 66, of barangay Camias and Bienvenido Tamayo, 55, of barangay San Agustin, both in San Miguel. At least 29 persons were killed in Aurora when typhoon “Violeta” hit the province last week, according to the Central Luzon Regional Disaster Coordinating Council (RDCC). Unconfirmed reports said that landslides in Dingalan and Baler, Aurora early Monday morning buried several persons alive. Hardest hit by floods in Bulacan were the towns of San Miguel and San Ildefonso. Flooded towns were San Rafael, Bocaue, Angat, Baliuag, Sta. Maria, Marilao and Meycauayan. Flooded in Nueva Ecija were several barangays in the towns of Gapan, Gen. Tinio, San Leonardo, San Isidro, Bongabon, Gabaldon and the cities of Cabanatuan and Palayan. Rendered not passable to all types of vehicles were Maharlika Highway south and north of San Miguel, MacArthur Highway in Meycauayan, Bulacan and the Gapan and San Leonardo bridges in Nueva Ecija, Bangkeruhan bridge in Bongabon, also in Nueva Ecija, and Sapang Buho bridge in Palayan City. (Fred Roxas) Floods leave thousands stranded SAN MIGUEL, Bulacan—- Hundreds of commuters were stranded here yesterday as rivers and creeks swell rendering bridges not passable to light vehicles due to rains poured by typhoon Winnie. Mayor Edmundo Buencamino said that at least 51,087 individuals from 39 barangays in were affected by floodwaters as deep as three feet that cascaded down from the Sierra Madre Mountains. Barangay officials said floodwaters inundated a number of brangays along the Mharlika Highway that connects Manila to Northeastern Luzon. “Kawawa yung mga papasok sa opisina,” officials said, noting that there was no way they could pass through until the floodwater receded. Meanwhile, Rodolfo Santos, provincial disaster coordinating office (PDCO) executive officer said that four people drowned during the nightlong rain caused by typhoon Winnie. He identified the fatalities as Ana Bacual, 63 of Brgy. Camias, Bienvenido Tamayo, 55 of Brgy. San Agustin, Antonio Parungao, 40 of Brgy. San Jose all in San Miguel town and Buenaventura Cruz of Brgy. Salacot in Angat town. Affected families were relocated at Lovely Park in San Miguel town proper while rescue and relief operations by the PDCP, the municipal government and the provincial social welfare and development office were ongoing as of press time. Other towns affected by flashfloods in Bulacan were Marilao, Meycauayan, Plaridel, Angat and San Rafael. Raul Agustin, special operation officer of the PDCO, blamed the flashfloods on the rampant illegal logging activities in Sierra Madre, while residents of San Miguel town blamed marble quarry operations and slash and burn farming in the mountains." (Freddie C. Velez) |
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The Philippines is now bracing for "super" Typhoon Yoyong (also known as "Nanmada") which is due to hit soon.
So far the numbers are grim. One city, Infanta, was completely submerged. There have been 348 confirmed deaths from the flooding and 150 are still missing.
Prayers for those affected in the Philippines.
there once was a time the US would help them out big time....
That's true. It wasn't too long ago either.
Ping.
Yikes. First I'd heard of this flooding and hurricane.
ping
Thanks for the ping. You can see what time is PST now, but I am in contact with my honey, RIGHT NOW, by text messaging. She says it is really bad where she is too, in Southern Batangas, about 100 miles south of Manila. She says wind is 185 Kilometers per hour. They are all scared to death, but hanging on.
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