Filipinos must brace for another storm to enter the Philippine area of responsibility (PAR) before November ends.
Interviewed over ABS-CBN’s Teleradyo, Raymond Ordinario, a weather specialist from the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration, said three typhoons are usually expected in November, and that another storm has yet to enter the PAR.
Typhoons “Siony” “Tonyo” and “Ulysses” had entered the PAR and battered many parts of Luzon this month.
“Our forecast for November is one to three storms. But since we are in mid-November, one more storm may enter,” Ordinario said.
The Philippines was battered by a series of storms beginning last month with tropical depression Ofel, followed by tropical storm Pepito, Typhoon Quinta (international name Molave), Super Typhoon Rolly (Goni), Siony (Atsani), tropical storm Tonyo, and Ulysses.
Ulysses brought torrential rains that resulted in historic flooding in Marikina and Cagayan, leaving at least 73 dead in the entire Luzon.
The state weather bureau said last week four more storms could enter the Philippine area of responsibility before the end of the year.
Ulysses was the first.
The cost of infrastructure damage caused by Typhoon Ulysses has reached P5.77 billion, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) said Wednesday.
The damage was recorded in Regions I, II, III, CALABARZON, MIMAROPA, V, CAR, and NCR, according to the NDRRMC in its latest report.
A total of 63,885 residences were also destroyed by the strong typhoon that crossed Luzon last week, which affected over three million individuals.
The Department of Agriculture has said the worth of damage in the sector has increased to P3.84 billion, affecting 104,733 farmers and fisherfolk and 101,904 hectares of agricultural areas with a volume of production loss at 160,873 metric tons.
As for casualties, the death toll remained at 73 while the number of wounded individuals was 24 and 19 others were still missing.
According to the NDRRMC, assistance worth P75.46 million was already provided to the victims of the typhoon.
President Rodrigo Duterte has already placed the entire Luzon under a state of calamity following the onslaught of strong storms in the previous weeks.
In areas declared under a state of calamity, the Quick Response Fund or stand-by fund may be utilized for relief and recovery programs in order that the situation and living conditions of people in communities or areas stricken by disaster, calamities, epidemics or complex emergencies may be normalized as quickly as possible.