The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) ordered its regional counterparts in Northern Luzon on Wednesday, August 31, to prepare for flooding, landslides, and other possible effects of a super typhoon (ST) with an international name “Hinnamnor” if it enters the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR).
ST Hinnamnor is expected to enter PAR on Wednesday night or early morning Thursday where it will be named locally as “Henry,” according to the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa).
NDRRMC spokesperson Raffy Alejandro said that Council has issued a general directive to all chairpersons of regional DRRMCs and Office of Civil Defense (OCD) regional directors in Ilocos (Region 1), Cagayan Valley (Region 2), and Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR) “to prepare in connection with the current weather system affecting the country.”
Alejandro said RDDRM officials and OCD directors in the affected regions were told to closely monitor closely weather warnings and other advisories issued by the state-weather bureau and other surveillance agencies.
“Initiation of pre-disaster risk assessment at the regional level as needed has been encouraged,” Alejandro said.
The NDRRMC spokesperson also advised regional officials to strengthen risk communication and localize the warning to communities within their areas of responsibility.
ST Hinnamnor was last located 1,305 km east, northeast of extreme Northern Luzon while packing a maximum sustained winds of 195 km per hour (kph) with gustiness up to 240 kph.
Mennwhile, tropical depression Gardo was also being monitored by Pagasa ahead of ST Hinnamnor’s entry. Gardo was last spotted 1,130 km east of extreme Northern Luzon, packing a maximum sustained winds of 85 kph and gustiness of up to 70 kph.
The two weather systems have no direct impact on the country so far although they might induce southwest monsoon or habagat rains, according to Pagasa.
Northern Luzon has yet to fully recover from the devastating effects of Typhoon Florita in early August and a magnitude 7.0 earthquake in July.