City of San Fernando—Thousands of evacuees remained in temporary shelters in Central Luzon as typhoon Siony entered the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR), according to the regional office of the Office of Civil Defense.
But as Tropical Storm Rolly (international name: Goni) got a quicik exit from the Philippines after cutting a swathe of destruction, yet another weather disturbance—Tropical storm Siony—was breathing down on the country's eastern seaboard.
Rolly packed maximum sustained winds of 65 kilometers per hour near the center and gustiness of up to 80 kph. It was last tracked 195 kilometers west of Subic, Zambales, moving westward at 20 kph.
All tropical cyclone wind signals raised in the country were lifted.
However, occasional gusts may be experienced over Batanes, Babuyan Islands, Ilocos Region, Cordillera Administrative Region, and the northern portions of mainland Cagayan and Zambales.
Weathermen said Siony maintained its strength while accelerating west-northwestward over the Philippine Sea.
It s likely to remain within tropical storm category within the next 36 to 48 hours.
As of 4 p.m. Monday, it was estimated at 655 kilometers east of Calayan, Cagayan with maximum sustained winds of 65 kms per hour and gustiness of 80 kph.
Cloudy skies with scattered rainshowers and thunderstorms will prevail over Cagayan Valley, Apayao, Kalinga and Ilocos Norte due to trough.
The OCD said 18, 965 persons were moved during the preemptive evacuation to safer ground from differernt provinces in the region by disaster-control personnel in Pampanga, Bataan, Aurora, Tarlac, Bulacan, Nueva Ecija and Zambales.
They are housed in 113 evacuation centers, stated in the report submitted to Regional Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office.
OCD-3 said sevaral government infrastructures including roads and bridges in Pampanga and Aurora had been made impassable due to flooding.
A total 10 road networks have been closed to traffic due to flooding, said OCD3 director Maria Theresa Escolano.
Over in Tarlac, classes have been suspended by Tarlac State University from Nov 3 to 7.
OCD-3 recorded 241,790 individuals affected by typhoon Rolly in at least five Central Luzon provinces.
Meanwhile, the local government units here intensified the distribution of relief goods including foods and non-food items for thousands of flood victims in the province low-lying and coastal villages municipalities of the province, taking advantage of an improved weather Monday.
The Pampanga Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (PDRRMO) recorded a total of 6,534 individuals dwelling in 89 evacuation centers spread through out the province government and private schools since the preemptive evacuation was enforced Saturday evening.
Angelina Blanco, of the PDRRMO, said 56 barangays remained under water in varying degrees.
The deepest is 8 feet in some area, specifically Candaba town due to floodwater that spilled over from the Pampanga River.
She said social workers had been deployed to different evacuation centers supervising the distribution of relief items brought by local government counterparts.
"The evacuees will remain in temporary shelters until the flood recedes and the weather improve," said Blanco who also supervises the delivery of relief goods to different evaucation centers in the province.
State weather specialist Ana Clauren said tropical cyclone wind signals might be hoisted over some areas in Cagayan Valley starting Wednesday as Siony is seen to intensify into a severe tropical storm.
The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) forecast rough to very rough seas over the seaboards of Northern Luzon, and the western seaboards of Central Luzon.
Moderate to rough seas will prevail over the remaining seaboards of Luzon and the eastern seaboards of Visayas and Mindanao.
Meanwhile, the Ambuklao, Binga, Magat, and Ipo dams in Luzon continue to release water in the aftermath of Typhoon Rolly which battered parts of Luzon over the weekend.
Spilling operations in these dams were in progress as of 6 a.m. Monday, according to the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration hydrologist Max Peralta.
"The operations aim to ensure water elevation there won't endanger the dams," he said in an interview.
Peralta added the move was necessary as Siony might further raise the dams' already high water level.
In its latest bulletin, the weather bureau said Siony might intensify into a severe tropical storm before making landfall in the extreme Northern Luzon area later this week.
According to PAGASA, the 6 a.m. water level in Ambuklao, Binga, Magat, and Ipo dams on Monday are 0.76 meters, 1.16 meters, 4.42 meters, and 0.38 meters below their respective spilling or normal high levels.
Peralta observed that these dams then were no longer spilling as much water.
"That may be because runoff from 'Rolly' is likely easing already," he said.
He added the locations of these dams might not have received much rain after “Rolly” left, he continued.
Ambuklao and Magat released on Monday morning less water compared to 24 hours earlier, he noted.
He said only one gate of Binga was open compared to the two gates on Sunday.
"Ipo's discharge was minimal," he added.
The water in Magat's big drainage area flows into the Ipo dam so it fills up easily and must spill accordingly, he added. With PNA