After leaving the southern part of the county with billions of property losses and hundreds of lives claimed, Pablo made a u-turn and struck the northern portion of the Philippines this time.
Typhoon Pablo was expected to leave the Philippine area of responsibility some time during the weekend, however, on Sunday it took a turn and headed for Laoag with gusts of 120 kilometers per hour and moving eastward at 15 kilometers per hour.
Civil Defense Chief Bonito Ramos reported that despite the typhoon’s slow down into a tropical storm, flashfloods and landslides are still to be expected, particularly in low-lying areas.
Ramos also said that residents in the north have become more cautious after the wreckage that Pablo caused in Mindanao, and that rescue teams are already on guard. Three provinces in the north have already been alerted for signal number two.
In Mindanao, the number of dead has been confirmed at 548 while 827 are still missing. Over 170,000 people are still stuck at evacuation centers with no homes to go to. The amount of property losses have likewise been estimated at P8.5 billion, The Manila Times reported.
