Dante brings strong wind, heavy rain in Eastern Visayas

MANILA, Philippines — Tropical storm Dante (international name Choi-wan) yesterday brought strong winds and heavy rains over the eastern section of the country, according to the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA).

Signal No. 2 was hoisted over Catanduanes, Camarines Sur, southern portion of Camarines Norte, Masbate including Ticao and Burias Island, Albay, Sorsogon, Eastern Samar, Samar, Northern Samar, Biliran and the northeastern portion of Leyte.

Signal No. 1 was raised over Rizal, Laguna, the southeastern portion of Batangas, Quezon including Polillo Islands, Camarines Norte, Marinduque, Romblon, the northeastern portion of Aklan, Capiz, the northeastern portion of Capiz, the northeastern portion of Iloilo, the northeastern portion of Negros Occidental, the northern portion of Cebu, the northeastern portion of Bohol, the rest of Leyte and Southern Leyte.

Also placed under Signal no. 1 were Surigao del Norte, including Siargao and Bucas Grande Islands, Dinagat Islands, the northern portion of Agusan del Norte, the northern portion of Agusan del Sur and the northern portion of Surigao del Sur.

PAGASA said Dante is expected to make landfall over Eastern Samar or Leyte between last night and this morning, packing maximum sustained winds of 65 kilometers per hour (kph) near the center and gustiness of up to 80 kph while moving north northwest at 25 kph.

Dante is likely to weaken into a tropical depression on Friday and into a low-pressure area by Saturday.

1 dead, 1 missing

The National Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council (NDRRMC) said Dante has left only one fatality.

NDRRMC spokesman Mark Timbal said that so far, there is only one recorded death in Region 12, with at least one reported missing, noting that all information are still being validated and verified.

“Our teams from the regions are coordinating with the local government units (LGUs) about the causes of death, whether they are related to Dante or not,” Timbal explained, adding “we are making sure of the circumstance of our casualties.”

The NDRRMC said Dante affected some 160 families in nine villages in Region 11 alone, forcing residents to seek temporary shelter in 10 evacuation centers.

Floods were also reported in the towns of Banga and Surallah, South Cotabato, Libungan in Cotabato Province and in Tacurong, Sultan Kudarat, while landslides blocked roads in Kidapawan City and Magpet town.

Full alert

The Philippine National Police (PNP) yesterday placed its disaster response units in the Visayas and Mindanao on full alert and activated the police Reactionary Standby Support Force in preparation for Dante.

“I am placing all concerned police offices and units on full alert to guarantee the availability of assets, resources and personnel for possible disaster response operations in areas threatened by Dante,” PNP chief Gen. Guillermo Eleazar said, instructing units to coordinate with LGUs. – Michael Punongbayan, Emmanuel Tupas, Cet Dematera, Gilbert Bayoran