The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) reported on Sunday morning that four individuals were injured in the Bicol region as tropical storm ‘Aghon’ continues to impact several parts of the country.
In its 8:00 AM situational report, the NDRRMC said there were no fatalities or missing persons attributed to the storm thus far.
Edgar Posadas, spokesperson for the Office of Civil Defense (OCD), stated that Tropical Storm Aghon has affected a total of 2,734 people, or 513 families, across 18 barangays in Bicol and Eastern Visayas. Of these, 523 individuals or 34 families are temporarily sheltered in evacuation centers.
Posadas also noted that food and non-food supplies have been prepositioned by both the OCD and the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) in regional offices to support local government units.
“What we’re monitoring here is the rainfall, not so much the wind, especially because ‘Aghon’ will come quite close to Metro Manila,” he added.
While there have been no confirmed deaths related to the ongoing storm, authorities are verifying other reports of injuries in the Bicol area.
The NDRRMC also reported significant travel disruptions, with 5,969 passengers, 40 vessels, 10 motor bancas, and 987 rolling cargoes stranded in the ports of Calabarzon, Mimaropa, Bicol, Central Visayas and Eastern Visayas because of the inclement weather.
The storm also caused damage to 21 houses in Eastern Visayas, with 17 partially damaged and four completely destroyed.
As of 2:00 PM on Sunday, PAGASA said ‘Aghon’ maintained its strength as it moved slowly northwestward over Mauban, Quezon. It has maximum sustained winds of 75 kilometers per hour (km/h) and gustiness of up to 125 km/h.
“The tropical storm is forecast to be over the waters off the east coast of Quezon this evening. During this period, AGHON will likely remain as a tropical storm although the possibility of intensifying into severe tropical storm while over the sea east of Quezon is not ruled out,” the weather bureau said.
Forecasters have raised Tropical Cyclone Wind Signal (TCWS) No. 2 in parts of Aurora, northern and central portions of Quezon, including Polillo Islands, Laguna, the eastern portions of Batangas and Rizal in Calabarzon.
The following areas, meanwhile, were placed under TCWS No. 1: eastern portions of Isabela and Quirino, southern portion of Nueva Vizcaya, eastern and southern portions of Nueva Ecija, southern portion of Bataan, eastern portion of Pampanga, Bulacan, Metro Manila, the rest of Quezon and Rizal, Cavite, the rest of Batangas, northern and central portions of Oriental Mindoro, Marinduque, the extreme northern potion of Romblon, Camarines Norte and Camarines Sur.