BUTUAN CITY – Local government units (LGUs) in Caraga Region have activated their local disaster risk reduction offices from provincial down to the municipal levels as Tropical Storm Odette (International name Rai) threatens the area.
Emergency operations centers in cities and municipalities in the region were also activated Tuesday, December 14.
As of 4 p.m. Tuesday, severe tropical storm (STS) Rai was seen 1,000 kilometers east of Mindanao and continues to affect Caraga, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration said.
“Rai” has maximum sustained winds of 100 kph and gustiness of up to 125 kph, the weather bureau added.
Meanwhile, Surigao del Sur, Gov. Alexander Pimentel directed all the mayors in the province not to leave their areas of responsibility as the weather disturbance nears, and to order appropriate preparatory measures to prevent casualties.
“You are also instructed to conduct pre-disaster risk assessments and pre-emptive evacuations in high-risk areas,” Pimentel said.
In Tandag City, Mayor Roxanne Pimentel has activated the local emergency operation center as she also ordered a no-sailing policy and suspension of work in public and private offices until the weather clears, and the conduct of preemptive evacuations in flood and landslide-prone areas.
In Agusan del Sur, continued monitoring of river systems is also conducted in the different towns as rains started to affect the province. Emergency response centers in different towns were also activated.
The Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (PDRRMO) in the area has also prepared all its water rescue assets for possible rescue operations.
In Agusan del Norte, the PDRRMO together with the MDRRMOs conducted pre-disaster risk assessments since Monday and prepositioned its manpower and equipment to areas susceptible to floods and landslides.
In Surigao City, the capital of Surigao del Norte province, Mayor Ernesto Matugas Jr. convened the CDRRMO and other concerned agencies for pre-disaster risk assessment.
Dinagat Islands Governor Arlene Bag-ao has issued Executive Order No. 12-06 on Monday that activated the public safety protocols in the province to address the threats of “Rai.”