MANILA — The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) has raised its status to “red alert” as Typhoon “Nina” intensifies further threatening the Bicol Region Sunday.
This was disclosed by NDRRMC executive director Ricardo Jalad in a statement Sunday (Dec. 25 2016).
“Red” alert footing of the entire NDRRMC took place 12 noon with the response clusters, headed by the Department of Social Welfare and Development, being activated to ensure close coordination and quick mobilization of assistance for communities that might be affected by the typhoon.
“The NDRRMC is closely monitoring the updates on the typhoon as well as the situation on the ground through the regional and local councils concerned,” Jalad added.
Typhoon Nina has intensified further, prompting authorities to raise Tropical Cyclone Warning Signal (TCWS) No. 4 over Catanduanes as of 11 a.m. Sunday, before the typhoon’s landfall in the province on Sunday night.
Nina was last seen 150 km east of Virac, Catanduanes, and is forecast to move west at 15 kph.
It has a maximum sustained winds of up to 185 kph near the center, and gustiness of up to 255 kph.
The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said the estimated rainfall amount is from moderate to heavy within its 500-km diameter of Nina.
Sea travel is risky over the seaboards of Luzon, the state weather bureau added.
Storm surge height of up to 2.5 meters is possible over the coastal areas of Camarines Sur, Camarines Norte, Albay, Sorsogon and Catanduanes.
PAGASA warned that Nina has increased its threat the Bicol region.
Burias Island, Albay, Camarines Norte, Camarines Sur and southern Quezon are currently under TCWS No. 3.
TCWS No. 2, on the other hand, was raised over Masbate, including Ticao Island, Sorsogon, Oriental Mindoro, Batangas, Laguna, rest of Quezon including Polillo, Marinduque, Romblon and northern Samar.
Metro Manila, Rizal, Bataan, Occidental Mindoro including Lubang Island, Nueva Ecija, Aurora, southern Quirino, southern Nueva Vizcaya, Zambales, Pampanga, Bulacan, Tarlac, Cavite, Aklan, Capiz, Samar, Eastern Samar, Biliran, Leyte and Bantayan Island are still under TCWS No. 1. PNA-northboundasia.com