Jenny exits the Philippines, leaves 1 dead

MANILA, Philippines — Tropical Storm Jenny exited the Philippines yesterday after sweeping through Central and Northern Luzon, killing at least one person.

According to a GMA 7 report, a senior citizen died after he was swept by strong waves in Sta. Catalina, Negros Oriental.

Jenny weakened into a tropical depression as it made landfall over Casiguran, Aurora at around 10:40 p.m. on Tuesday.

The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) lifted all tropical cyclone wind signals early yesterday morning as Jenny exited the landmass of Luzon and moved toward Lingayen Gulf at around 3 a.m.

It left the Philippine area of responsibility at around 2 p.m. and moved toward Hainan, Southern China.

As of 4 p.m. yesterday, the center of the storm was estimated at 510 kilometers west of Dagupan City, Pangasinan.

It was moving west southwest at 40 kph.

The enhanced southwest monsoon, however, was still expected to bring light to moderate with intermittent heavy rains over Western Visayas, Negros Oriental, Mindoro provinces, Romblon, and Palawan, including Calamian and Cuyo Islands in the next 24 hours.

The weather bureau also continued to warn against rough sea conditions in the seaboards of Luzon and western seaboard of Visayas.

Jenny was the 10th cyclone to enter the country this year and third this month.

PAGASA weather specialist Benison Estareja said a cloud cluster was spotted east of Visayas yesterday afternoon.

However, he said it has slim chance of developing into a tropical cyclone based on latest forecast.

Estareja said Metro Manila, Baguio City and Legazpi City, Albay will have partly cloudy to cloudy skies with chances of rain due to thunderstorms today until Friday.

By Saturday, these areas will have cloudy skies with light to moderate rains due to the southwest monsoon.

Partly cloudy to cloudy skies with isolated rains will prevail over Metro Cebu until Sept. 1.

In Metro Davao, fair and warm weather is expected until Monday.

Heavy rains brought by Jenny have submerged three bridges in Isabela and three other bridges in Cagayan that were closed to traffic. 

Disaster officials said the affected bridges include the Baculud Bridge in Ilagan City, the Sta. Maria and Sto. Tomas bridges in Isabela.

In Cagayan, the Tawi Bridge in Peñablanca and the Abusag and Bagunot bridges in Baggao town were affected by overflowing rivers.

At least 30 families were evacuated from Barangay Gaddanan in San Mateo, Isabela when their houses were submerged. 

Engineer Eduardo Ramos, manager of National Irrigation Administration Magat Dam and Reservoir Division, said that the dam will not overflow despite the heavy rains brought by the storm.

He said the water level of the dam was recorded at 183.65 meters yesterday morning. The reservoir‘s spilling level is 190 meters.

The release of water from an overflowing Magat Dam during the past years had caused flooding in Isabela and Cagayan.

Floods in low-lying areas along the Agno River have subsided, according to an advisory yesterday from the Agno River Basin Flood Forecasting and Warning Center (ARBFFWC).

It said the main stretch of Agno River and allied rivers (Bued-Cayanga Patalan and Pantal-Sinocalan sub-basins) are now below alert level status. 

The public and local Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Councils within the basin are still advised to continue to take appropriate actions to mitigate the adverse impacts of river flooding along low-lying riverside areas; flooding due to the accumulation/ponding of rainwater combined with the effects of poor drainage systems and tide affected areas, it added.

Class suspension

The storm and high tide of Manila Bay prompted local officials to suspend classes in all levels yesterday in Calumpit, Hagonoy, Plaridel and Norzagaray in Bulacan.

Maricel Cruz, head of the provincial public affairs office of Bulacan, said elementary classes in San Miguel town while classes for pre-school up to senior high school were declared suspended in Bocaue. – With Jaime Laude, Ramon Efren Lazaro, Artemio Dumlao, Eva Visperas, Raymund Catindig