Typhoon Karen leaves 5 dead

MANILA, Philippines – Typhoon “Karen” (international codename Nuri) pounded northern Luzon yesterday bringing strong winds and continuous rains that left five people, including three children, dead.

The Office of Civil Defense (OCD) reported one person missing in  Ilocos Norte. Dionisio Tumamaw of San Nicolas, Ilocos Norte tried to cross a river at the height of the storm, but failed to come back, it said.

The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) said Karen would continue
to bring heavy rains and gusty winds over the western section of northern Luzon in the next 24 hours.

Although it made landfall over Sta. Ana town in Cagayan yesterday morning, Karen maintained its strength at 140 kilometers per hour as it hovered off Cagayan coast, Babuyan and Calayan Group of Islands for six hours.

President Arroyo ordered all concerned government agencies to augment the resources and efforts of the provincial disaster coordinating councils (PDCCs) to address the impact of Karen.

The OCD identified the fatalities as Mark Anthony, 1; Lester, 3; and Alvin, 10, all surnamed Somera; Petra Kadalar, 72, of Baguio City and Hilario Badungan, 77, of Barangay Porponket, Supiden, La Union.

The three kids were buried alive inside their house by a mudslide that hit Sitio Antamok, Barangay Ucab, Itogon, Benguet.

The same fate befell Kadalar and Badungan, whose houses in Baguio City and in La Union were also covered by tons of cascading mud early yesterday morning.

Police Chief Superintendent Eugene Martin said Hesterlee Anne Carpiso, 21, was also rushed to Baguio General Hospital and Medical Center after rescuers from the 911-On-Call led by Paeng Valencia dug her up from a landslide in Barangay Sta. Escolastica, Baguio City.

The OCD Region 1 reported that heavily affected by typhoon Karen were the provinces of Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, La Union, Cagayan, and Benguet.

Flooded municipalities included the towns of Sarrat in Ilocos Norte; San Ildefonso, Santa, San Vicente, Sinait and Sta. Cruz in Ilocos Sur; Bauang and Supiden in La Union.

Floods in these provinces forced 1,344 families or a total of 4,195 persons to evacuate to centers set by local and provincial officials.

As early as 3 a.m. yesterday, Kennon Road was closed to all types of vehicles due to boulder slides at Camp 3.

In Ifugao, power was only restored before noon yesterday while the towns of Flora, Pubtol, Sta. Marcela and Luna, all in Apayao had power interruption.

Disaster officials also alerted residents living in low-lying areas along Apayao river, especially those in the municipalities of Flora and Luna, for possible flooding.

In Vigan, Karen triggered a landslide on a national highway in Bantay town and stopped vehicular traffic for eight hours. The roadside in Barangay Banaoang was covered by rocks and soil which cascaded from a mountain.

In Norzagaray, Bulacan, managers at Ipo Dam released at least 60 cubic meters of water at 2:30 p.m. yesterday.

But authorities assured no danger of flooding on riverside communities.

The Provincial Disaster Coordinating Office (PDCO) said water elevation at the dam reached its 100-meter spilling level due to rains brought by the typhoon.

Ipo Dam is a secondary dam to Angat Dam, also in Norzagaray town.

Records obtained by The STAR from the PDCO showed that water elevation at Angat Dam dropped to 199.07 meters as of 8 a.m. yesterday, compared to 199.21 meters recorded the same time last Tuesday.

Government agencies coordinate

National Disaster Coordinating Council deputy administrator Anthony Golez said the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) started yesterday clearing operations on national roads and highways that became impassable because of fallen or uprooted trees and electric posts.

DPWH Secretary Hermogenes Ebdane said that he had already ordered the deployment of emergency crew and equipment in areas hit by typhoon to ensure that major roadways would be passable to motorists.

The Philippine Coast Guard also ordered all its district offices and stations to advise fishing vessel owners and fishermen not to go out to sea.

Golez said the Department of Social Welfare and Development was also on standby with the distribution of relief goods for PDCCs’ requests.

The Department of Health already prepared the medicines that might be needed in affected provinces, he said.

Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro, who heads the NDCC, directed the immediate deployment of assessment teams to areas hit by typhoon to determine the extent of damages and other requirements.

Golez reported that in Region I, a total of 45 barangays were hit by the typhoon, affecting an estimated 1,344 families.

Seven barangays in Sarrat, Ilocos Norte suffered heavy flooding while a power failure was reported in Cagayan province.

Cagayan reported  P40 million damage to crops and fishery products.

Golez said 20 families were also evacuated to a public gymnasium in Aparri.

Public works men were clearing Kennon Road, especially Klondykes in Camp 3, Tuba town after boulders rolled down the highway.

A huge landslide blocked Baguio-Trinidad road near a hotel at 9 a.m. yesterday, but was immediately cleared by government workers.

Government authorities were also monitoring landslides in other roads in the Cordillera, particularly the very important vegetable belt road grid known as Halsema Highway between Bontoc and Benguet where highland vegetables are transported from farms to La Trinidad trading post in Benguet.

Metro Manila floods

Heavy rains also caused a portion of a small dike to collapse, bringing in waist-deep flooding in a low-cost Gawad Kalinga housing community in Quezon City yesterday.

A small portion of a dike in Brookside, Barangay Bagong Silangan collapsed at around 5 a.m. yesterday, said Senior Inspector Luis Fernandez, commander of a community precinct of the Quezon City Police District-Station 6.

“Around 100 families were affected and had to temporarily be evacuated to a three-story building in the area,” Fernandez said.

Floodwaters subsided quickly, except in low-lying areas of Caloocan, Malabon, Navotas, and Valenzuela (Camanava) because of high tide.

The MMDA said flooding on MacArthur highway in Valenzuela remained knee-high even after rains stopped.

Floodwaters also rose along Regalado Street on Commonwealth Avenue and Talayan in Quezon City and San Miguel in Caloocan.

Gutter-deep flooding affected EDSA Aurora, España in Manila, Ortigas-La Salle, and the Northbound lane of EDSA-Santolan.

Most of Malabon’s 22 barangays, especially in Dampalit, were flooded as usual.

In Valenzuela, Barangay Polo and most barangays of District 2 were flooded.

Motorists experienced heavy traffic on MacArthur Highway and Tullahan Bridge, the common boundary of Malabon and Valenzuela cities.

Karen leaves today

Pagasa said Karen is expected to leave the Philippine area of responsibility this afternoon and move towards southern China-Hong Kong.

Robert Sawi of Pagasa weather forecasting station, said Karen moved slowly yesterday as it crossed northern Luzon provinces.

“Because it is moving slowly, rains would remain critical over northern Luzon until Thursday morning,” Sawi said.

He said Metro Manila and Central Luzon provinces would continue to experience intermittent rains until today.

At 4 p.m. yesterday, the eye of Karen was spotted at 50 kilometers north of Aparri, Cagayan with maximum sustained winds of 140 kph near the center and gustiness of up to 170 kph.

Sawi said the weather disturbance would continue to enhance the southwest monsoon and bring rains over the western section of Luzon and Visayas in the next 24 hours.

Karen is forecast to be at 320 kms northwest of Laoag City or 310 kms west of Basco, Batanes this morning.

By tomorrow morning, it would be at 210 kms east-northeast of Hong Kong or 610 kms northwest of Basco.

Sawi said Karen would likely gain more strength while moving over the South China Sea before it hits Southern China-Hong Kong area on Friday. – With   Marvin Sy, Reinir Padua, Evelyn Macairan, Michael Punongbayan, Charlie Lagasca, Andy Zapata, Dino Balabo, Jerry Botial, Artemio Dumlao, Teodoro Molina