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DISASTER-mitigation teams have doubled their
preparedness as a pair of typhoons—with a third
coming—that interacted through the so-called Fujiwhara
effect is threatening central
Philippines,
weather specialists disclosed Sunday.
As
Typhoons Lando and Mina caused six deaths, President
Arroyo has ordered preemptive evacuation in areas that
are expected to be badly hit by the typhoons.
“The two
typhoons, Mina and Lando, are having an interaction. In
weather science that’s called the Fujiwhara effect. What
happens, for instance, when they’re interacting is that
if, say, Mina moves northward, Lando will move
southward, and vice versa,” explained Prisco Nilo, head
of the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and
Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) at a
briefing at the National Disaster Coordinating Council (NDCC)
headquarters in Camp Aguinaldo.
“If the
more dominant weather system makes a turn, the other one
will follow; and in this case, Typhoon Mina is expected
to, upon crossing Northern Luzon . . . make a U-turn,
and Lando will move accordingly,” Nilo added.
The last
time a typhoon made a U-turn, according to Nilo, was
about 10 years ago.
But what
makes this situation worse is that another typhoon named
Nonoy is also seen heading toward the country.
Asked on
the possibility the three typhoons will merge, Nilo said
that could indeed happen.
“You
see, Lando is moving [again] toward the Philippines, in
fact it’s predicted to cross central
Philippines;
Nonoy is moving toward somewhere in the Philippine sea.
They [could] meet and merge,” Nilo said.
But the
good news, according to Nilo, is that Lando is no longer
classified as a typhoon but a tropical storm as it
reenters the country.
Lando
has a speed of just 95 kilometers per hour (kph) while
Mina has 160 kph, Nilo said.
Mina was
spotted 130 kilometers north northeast of Virac town,
Catanduanes province or 280 kilometers southeast of
Casiguran town, Aurora province, Pagasa said.
Nilo
allayed fears that the Fujiwhara effect will wreak
tremendous havoc on the country, saying the effects will
be simply continued rainfall and an enhanced northeast
monsoon which will bring moderate to heavy rains over
eastern Luzon.
In Metro
Manila, he said, the effect will just be peripheral.
Meanwhile, Anthony Golez, NDCC spokesman, said
disaster-mitigation teams, acting on orders of Mrs.
Arroyo, have started the preemptive evacuation of
families in affected areas, particularly in flood-prone
areas in Albay and Isabela.
He said
the President called several local government officials
in the affected areas to make sure they are prepared and
that preemptive evacuation is taking place.
Meanwhile, amid strong indications that super typhoon
Mina will not longer hit its initially targeted
province, Catanduanes is reeling from the effects of
continuous rainfall, causing landslides and paralyzing
transportation for six of the province’s towns.
Gov.
Joseph Cua said the absence of land transportation—the
last hope for relief since sea craft could not also
penetrate the rough sea conditions—had seriously
hampered relief operations, especially the ferrying of
commercial commodities. He said air transport is
necessary.
Isolated anew for five days now are the towns of Viga,
Panganiban, Bagamanoc, Gigmoto, Pandan and Caramoran.
The provincial government has declared a state of
calamity.
Cua said
the provincial engineering office and the Department of
Public Works and Highways (DPWH) under district engineer
Ignacio Odiaman are together clearing roads of
landslides, but continuous rain is making this hard.
Spillways are also often washed out while dirt roads
are impassable because of damage from rain, the governor
said.
In the
coastal barangays of Viga, residents are reportedly
suffering from hunger. Tinago barangay captain Fernando
Tebelin said residents are hungry because there’s no
rice and fishermen and farmers have not been able to do
anything for more than a month now. Residents are
scouring for wild crops locally know as namo as their
means of survival.
Even
abaca farmers could not harvest their crop. Abaca is a
major source of livelihood in Catanduanes, having been
revived in recent years.
More
than a hundred landslides have hit Catanduanes since the
week before All Saints’ Day, rendering six towns
isolated for 10 days until November 12. (With M. Ugalde,
C. Mocon) |
