The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) reported on Friday, Dec. 17, that typhoon “Odette” (international name: Rai) had similar characteristics with super typhoon “Yolanda” in 2013 and typhoon “Sendong” in 2011.
Typhoon Odette was packing a maximum sustained winds of 155 kilometers per hour (kph) and gustiness of about to 235 kph as of Friday noon, said NDRRMC operations center chief Joe-mar Perez.
It was nearly as strong as Yolanda which remains as the strongest typhoon to land in the Philippines, and twice as powerful as Sendong which hit the country on Dec. 16, 2011 -- exactly six years ago on Thursday.
In terms of power, Yolanda had a maximum sustained winds of 255 kph and gustiness of 260 kph while Sendong’s record was 75 kph and 90kph, respectively.
Odette has affected at least 10 regions which is similar with Yolanda’s record while Sendong was felt in nine regions.
Yolanda also dropped the highest amount of rainfall of 223.8 mm in Calapan, Mindoro while Sendong was 199.8 mm in Daet, Camarines Norte. Odette’s record was still undergoing validation.
“For the record, Yolanda remains as the strongest typhoon . Hopefully, Odette’s effects will be manageable,” Perez said.
Perez said Yolanda killed 6,300 persons, injured 28,689, and left 1,061 missing while for Sendong, there were 1,268 fatalities, 4,102 injured, and 241 missings.
NDRRMC spokesperson Mark Timbal said Odette there was one killed person due to Odette so far, which was recorded in San Fernando, Bukidnon. Other details about the case have yet to be disclosed.
“Please note that this is still up for validation. Proper victim identification is now being done,” he said.
Two others were also hurt in Bukidnon while 332,855 individuals or 83,026 families were pre-emptively evacuated nationwide, he added.
Yolanda and Sendong, on the other hand, affected 16 million and 698,000 people, respectively.
Assistant Secretary Casiano Monilla, NDRRMC deputy administrator for operations, said rapid damage and needs assessment (RDNA) was already conducted in priority areas in the aftermath of Odette.
The priority areas include Negros Occidental in Western Visayas (Region 6); Cebu and Bohol in Central Visayas (Region 7); Southern Leyte in Eastern Visayas (Region 8); and Siargao and Surigao City in Caraga (Region 13).
“We have seen the need for the immediate conduct of rapid damage and needs assessment. Right now, we have already coordinated the RDNA in areas that were hit by Odette,” Monilla said.