‘Uwan’ leaves 8 dead, 1.2M displaced
The state weather bureau on Monday eased storm signals in several areas across the country as Superyphoon “Uwan” (international name: Fung-wong) weakened further, leaving 1.2 million people displaced, at least eight people dead and many towns and cities in darkness.
In its latest typhoon bulletin issued 5 p.m. Monday, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) said Uwan was last spotted 175 kilometers west of Sinait, Ilocos Sur.
It lifted Tropical Cyclone Wind Signal No. 3 in several areas, but Signals No. 2 and 1 remained hoisted in other areas in Luzon, including Metro Manila.
The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) said Uwan affected 1,198,039 people, or 330,792 families, across 11 regions.
Of this number, 68 percent, or 822,355 people, equivalent to 228,097 families, were from the Bicol region. The second most affected region in terms of population was Central Luzon with 158,697 people, or 44,998 families, followed by Caraga in Mindanao with 99,109 people, or 22,018 families.
Fatalities
Even before it made landfall over Aurora province at past 9 p.m. on Sunday, Uwan already inundated many areas in Eastern Visayas and Bicol region, triggering, among others, a lahar flow in Guinobatan, Albay, as rains softened Mt. Mayon’s volcanic deposit.
Based on reports from disaster response bodies, at least five people died: 5-year-old twins boys buried in a landslide in Kayapa town of Nueva Vizcaya; a 48-year-old male drowning victim in Viga, Catanduanes; a 68-year-old woman crushed by a collapsed house in Catbalogan City, Samar; and a 13-year-old male drowning victim in Santa Maria, Bulacan.
Blackout
Most of Luzon was left without electricity and communication lines, with roads and highways littered with debris, eroded soils, downed electric posts and toppled trees.
“On the status of life lines, 155 cities and municipalities are still experiencing power interruptions while 15 have resumed; 13 areas with water supply interruption with 2 restored; and 14 areas have reported communication interruption,” Office of Civil Defense Assistant Secretary Rafael Alejandro IV said at a press briefing in Camp Aguinaldo.
Damage on transmission lines forced the National Grid Corp. of the Philippines (NGCP) to cut power supplies to electric cooperatives across Luzon around 10 p.m. on Sunday.
By noon Monday, the NGCP resumed power supply in parts of the Cordillera, Cagayan Valley, Ilocos region and in the northern, central and southern Luzon regions. Most cooperatives restored electricity in localities like Baguio at past 4 p.m. following massive debris cleanup and repair of downed electric posts.
Damaged schools
Uwan also affected 17,003,472 learners when 34,559 public schools across 15 regions suspended in-person classes and sustained varying degrees of damage, the Department of Education (DepEd) Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Service (DRRMS) reported.
A total of 5,572 public schools in 1,072 divisions were used as evacuation centers in 11 regions, with Bicol recording the highest number of active evacuation sites, the report added.
DepEd’s rapid damage assessment showed that 312 schools suffered structural damage, including 1,182 classrooms with minor damage, 366 classrooms with major damage, and 261 classrooms completely destroyed. The bulk of the damage was reported in Bicol, the Visayas regions and Northern Mindanao.
Uwan, which dissipated into a typhoon category on Monday morning after it crossed the north Luzon landmass and the Sierra Madre ranges, was moving northwestward at 10 km per hour while carrying maximum sustained winds of 120 kph near the center and gustiness of up to 150 kph.
“Uwan is forecast to exit PAR (the Philippine area of responsibility) tonight or tomorrow (Tuesday) early morning,” Pagasa said.
“It may reenter PAR on Wednesday evening as it makes landfall over the southwestern coast of Taiwan, resulting in further weakening,” it added. —REPORTS FROM ZACARIAN SARAO, KEITH CLORES, JASON SIGALES, VINCENT CABREZA, HAZEL P. VILLA, TONETTE OREJAS, MICHAEL JAUCIAN, VILLAMOR VISAYA JR., JOEY MARZAN, LEO UDTOHAN, JOEY GABIETA, JOANNA ROSE AGLIBOT, MA. APRIL MIER-MANJARES, MADONNA VIROLA, YOLANDA SOTELO, CARMELA REYES-ESTROPE AND AP
