MANILA – A new storm, which has the makings of a powerful typhoon, is churning toward the Philippines and is threatening anew Northern Luzon which has yet to recover from the severe battering it received from two recent back-back typhoons, weathermen warned on Wednesday.
Prisco Nilo, head of the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa), projected that the storm would enter the Philippines either late Wednesday night or Thursday morning.
Nilo said the storm, bearing the international codename “Mirinae” would be named “Santi” when it enters the country.
In a 6 am weather bulletin on Wednesday, Nilo said the storm was spotted 1,640 east of Northeast Luzon, carrying center winds of 85 kilometers per hour and gusts of up to 100 kph.
However, he warned the storm has the potential of turning into a powerful typhoon as it gathers strength in making its way toward the Philippines.
It is also likely, Nilo projected, that the storm would make an early exit, possibly on Sunday as it is projected to hit land either in Aurora province in Central Luzon or Isabela province in Cagayan Valley in the Northern Luzon highlands.
Santi will be the fourth major weather disturbance to hit the country following the back-to-back visits of typhoons “Ondoy” and “Pepeng” which wrought massive damage and destruction in Metro Manila as well as Central and Southern Luzon.
On September 26, Ondoy (international codename Ketsana) brought record-setting rainfall that flooded Metro Manila as well as neighboring areas in Central and Southern Luzon, considered the worst in 40 years.
A week later on October 2, Pepeng (international codename Parma) battered extreme Northern Luzon as it made landfall in Cagayan province and caused floods in the lowland provinces such as Pangasinan and La Union as well as landslides and rockslides in the mountain provinces of the Cordillera Administrative Region.
The death toll from the two typhoons, the National Disaster Coordinating Council (NDCC) said, reached more than 1,000 and forced about three million other Filipinos to seek refuge in evacuation centers due to massive floodings.
In addition, the NDCC said Ondoy and Pepeng also destroyed government infrastructure, private properties and the farm sector worth close to $1 billion.
When Pepeng departed about a week ago, typhoon “Ramil” (international codename Lupit or “cruel” in Filipino again threatened extreme Northern Luzon with its powerful center winds but before it could inflict further damage, it degenerated into a tropical storm and spared the region.
In the case of Santi, Pagasa’s Nilo warned its entry into the country could also threaten Central and Southern Luzon and Metro Manila where thousands of residents still have to return to their homes because the floods caused by Ondoy have yet to recede in many areas.
In particular, PAGASA’s Operations Chief Nathaniel Cruz advised residents in these regions to brace for heavy rains and strong winds on Saturday when they would start feeling its effects.
This also means, Cruz pointed out, that the annual nationwide observance of All Saints Day on November 1, would be wet and windy.
On All Saints Day, millions of Filipinos in this predominantly Catholic nation will troop to the cemeteries to pray for, and pay homage to their departed loved ones.
Based on the Pagasa warning, the NDCC alerted all officials in the affected areas to prepare for the arrival of Santi by pre-positioning relief items as well as personnel and the needed equipment, such as rubber boats and trucks.
The NDCC said they have learned valuable lessons from the recent back-to-back visits of Ondoy and Pepeng, in terms of disaster management and preparedness in case of emergencies due to natural or made calamities.
Officials have agreed that the government was left completely unprepared in dealing with the massive damage and destruction wrought in terms of human lives lost as well as on infrastructure, private properties and agriculture.
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