If you haven’t started preparing for the coming typhoon, you better start now. As in right this minute.
The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAG-ASA) issued a weather bulletin today to announce that tropical depression Ompong has gained speed, and is expected to make landfall in the northern tip of Cagayan province on Saturday morning.
As of 4am today, Ompong, which has the international name Mangkhut, was spotted at 780 kilometers east northeast of Guluan, Eastern Samar.
This is not a weak typhoon, folks. It is moving with maximum sustained winds of 205 kilometers per hour near the center and has a gustiness of up to 255 kilometers per hour.
Even the weather bureau said Ompong would be the strongest typhoon to arrive in the Philippines this year. Government officials have even said that Ompong could possibly leave a Yolanda-like destruction in its wake.
Typhoon Yolanda left 6,300 dead people in 2013.
The weather bureau also placed the following areas under signal number one, which means the areas should expect a tropical cyclone to occur today. PAG-ASA said that winds with the strength of 30 – 60 kilometers per hour or intermittent rains will be expected to arrive in the following places within the next 36 hours:
- Cagayan
- Isabela
- Kalinga
- Mountain Province
- Ifugao
- Nueva Vizcaya
- Quirino
- Aurora
- Quezon including Polillo Island
- Camarines Norte
- Camarines Sur
- Albay
- Sorsogon
- Catanduanes
- Burias and Ticao Islands
- Northern Samar
Beginning today, the Philippine National Police (PNP) in Luzon is on full alert to prepare for the typhoon’s arrival. In a press briefing yesterday, chief Director General Oscar Albayalde said that the police will work overtime until the alert has been lifted.
We are counting on your men, sir.
Meanwhile, GMA News reported that the town of Gonzaga in Cagayan already started to prepare for the typhoon since Monday. As many as 147 families will be evacuated from risky areas today at 2pm.
On the other hand, the local government in Isabela province has ordered the forced evacuation of residents living in the towns of Maconacon, Divilacan, and Dinapigue. Fishermen are no longer allowed to set sail since Wednesday.
As an added precaution, the sale of alcoholic beverages has been banned within Isabela.
How are you preparing for the arrival of the typhoon? Let us know by commenting below or tweeting to @CoconutsManila.
