'Juan' slams RP today

MANILA, Philippines - The nation braced for the worst as super typhoon “Juan” (international name “Megi”), packing winds of more than 250 kilometers per hour, roared toward northern Luzon last night.

The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) began the forced evacuation of residents in 35 towns of Cagayan as 20 provinces were placed on storm alert. Juan makes landfall today.

The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) placed the provinces of Cagayan and Isabela under public storm signal no. 4.

Typhoon Juan gathered strength yesterday as it barreled toward northern Luzon, prompting authorities to implement massive preemptive measures to avoid casualties.

The government advised around seven million people in the direct path of the typhoon to stock up on food and medicine.

Pagasa said the wind strength of Juan could uproot trees, blow away houses made of light material, trigger landslides, and cause storm surges in coastal areas.

Pagasa also warned that waves off the eastern seaboard could be greater than 14 meters, and advised against travel to the region.

Pagasa has placed Batanes, including the Calayan and Babuyan groups of islands, Apayao, Kalinga, Mt. Province, Ifugao, Quirino and northern Aurora under Signal No. 3.

The provinces of Ilocos Sur, Ilocos Norte, Abra, La Union, Benguet, Nueva Vizcaya and the rest of Aurora was placed under Signal No. 2.

Pagasa has placed the provinces of Pangasinan, Tarlac, Nueva Ecija and Polillo Island under Signal No. 1.

Metro Manila, on the other hand, is not expected to be affected by the typhoon but disaster and rescue authorities are not taking any chances.

Pagasa said Metro Manila will not be directly affected though light to moderate rain showers are forecast starting today.

Pagasa weather forecaster Anthony Lucero said that once Juan makes landfall, residents in Metro Manila may feel its effects because it is expected to affect a large area.

Pagasa said Juan is expected to dump heavy rains in the northern region as tropical storm “Ondoy” did in Metro Manila last year.

As of 6 p.m. yesterday, Juan was spotted 360 kilometers east of Aparri, Cagayan with sustained winds of 225 kph near the center and gustiness up to 260 kph. The howler is moving at a fast pace of 22 kph westward.

The US Navy Joint Typhoon Warning Center on its website placed Juan as a Category 5 typhoon with winds reaching up to 315 kph.

Several weather monitoring websites such as Tropical Storm Risk (TSR) made a forecast that Juan will slam into Aparri this morning and exit Vigan City in Ilocos Sur later in the afternoon.

Pagasa chief Robert Sawi said stormy weather was to be experienced in Cagayan, including the Calayan and Babuyan groups of islands, and Isabela starting yesterday afternoon.

“As of now, these areas still experience sunny weather but in the next few hours residents in northern Luzon will already experience the effects of the typhoon,” Sawi told a news conference yesterday morning.

Pagasa forecasters stressed the remote possibility that Juan will change its track.

In July, typhoon “Basyang” killed 102 people when it unexpectedly changed direction and sliced through Metro Manila, cutting power across the sprawling metropolis of 12 million people, prompting President Aquino to sack the chief weather forecaster of Pagasa.

Pagasa deputy administrator Nathaniel Servando, on the other hand, said Juan is probably one of the strongest typhoons to enter the country this year. It is expected to gain more strength before hitting land.

Servando also warned that more powerful typhoons are expected to hit the country before the year ends because of the prevailing La Niña phenomenon.

Pagasa officer-in-charge Graciano Yumul said the wind intensity of Juan was similar to typhoons “Rosing,” “Anding,” and “Reming” that hit the country in 1995, 1981 and 2006, respectively.

Yumul said Juan is expected to hit Aparri in this morning before crossing Apayao then exit to the South China Sea through Ilocos Norte this afternoon.

Meanwhile, the Department of Education ordered the suspension of classes in at least 15 areas placed on higher public storm signal in northern Luzon.

Deceptively calm

Norma Talosig, regional chief of the Office of Civil Defense (OCD), said the weather was deceptively calm over Cagayan yesterday, although they expected it to change drastically within the day.

Talosig said residents in low-lying areas as well as those in coastal communities were being advised to move to safer areas and if they refused they would be forcibly evacuated.

“If we have to conduct forced evacuations, we will do it for their (residents’) safety,” Talosig said over national radio. “Our main objective is the safety of the community, the safety of the responders.”

Cagayan Gov. Alvaro Antonio said the typhoon could cause great damage to rice crops in the province.

“Based on our estimates, about 50-60 percent of our rice production could either be destroyed or damaged. We are the top producer of rice,” he said.

The Cagayan valley produces about of a third of the country’s rice. The head of the state grain agency said last month that rice output would be about 3.2 million tons short of a projected 17.4 million tons this year.

Last year, the country lost 1.3 million tons of paddy rice following three strong typhoons in September and October, prompting it to go to the market early to boost rice stocks.

The NDRRMC said food packs, medicine and rescue equipment, including rubber boats, are ready in areas expected to be lashed by the typhoon.

NDRRMC chief Benito Ramos said “preemptive evacuations” were being carried out in some towns in Cagayan, including near rivers that could overflow their banks.

“The people have learned their lesson. They volunteered to be evacuated,” Ramos told a news conference at Camp Aguinaldo.

Ramos though failed to provide the number of families that has to be evacuated.

Philippine National Police spokesman Senior Superintendent Agrimero Cruz said additional search and rescue teams would be deployed to the northern region to augment rescue operations.

“We have also declared a full alert status all over the country,” Cruz said.

The National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) was placed on full alert to help in disaster and rescue operations up north.

“Unlike in the previous typhoon Ondoy, we will not wait for the typhoon to strike before deploying our assets,” NCRPO director Chief Superintendent Nicanor Bartolome said.

The Department of Health also provided additional medicine to local health centers in the region.

Navy spokesman Lt. Col. Edgard Arevalo said rescue teams were already pre-positioned in La Union and some in Metro Manila and Cavite are awaiting orders. - With Alexis Romero, Charlie Lagasca, Non Alquitran, Christina Mendez, Cecille Suerte Felipe