Albay 2nd District Representative Joey Salceda on Monday urged the government to prepare hard for the arrival of Tropical Storm Queenie as it threatens to take a similar path taken by Severe Tropical Storm Paeng.

Salceda, chairman of the House ways and means committee warned “floods and landslides could be the greatest enemy” as Queenie enters the Philippines.

“The problem with having a new typhoon so soon after a previous one is the soil has not regained its capacity to absorb water. Our inland bodies of water are still full. So, any strong rains, even if the typhoon doesn’t make landfall at all, could cause serious flooding or landslides,” Salceda said in a statement.

The solon noted that some 500,000 people in the Bangsamoro region were affected by flooding and heavy rains even if “Paeng made landfall nowhere near the region.”

The lawmaker noted that the same areas that were severely affected by flooding during Paeng, such as parts of Maguindanao del Norte and Cagayan, were also affected by above-average rains two weeks ago during Typhoon Obet.

“These areas already experienced significant rain just two weeks before Paeng. North Luzon, in particular, has experienced more than 120 percent the normal rainfall from October 1-23, prior to Paeng. And similar areas were affected by rains associated with the Typhoon. We have to watch out for rain in those same areas.”

“So, what could make Queenie’s impacts national in scope isn’t the wind, although that could be a serious threat too, depending on how it gains strength. Flooding could make this coming typhoon national in scope,” he warned.

Salceda also said the Cagayan and Pampanga River Basins, as well as the Magat Sub-Basin are under flood watch as of October 31, according to the PAGASA’s Basin Hydrological Forecast, and thus, “heavy rainfall in those areas would, obviously, increase risks of actual flooding.”

“So, prepositioning flood rescue, evacuation, and mobility assets will be of the highest priority in these areas,” he said.

“If the area has been wet for days, is set to experience even more rains over the coming days, then obviously, and is more flood-prone than surrounding areas, then assets for rescue and evacuation should already be ready for such areas,” he pointed out.

“I would even argue that evacuation would be more important than rescue in that regard. Rescue missions risk the lives of first responded, as we just experienced a few weeks ago in Bulacan. And, if things go really bad, rescue is often too late,” he stressed.

“So, mobility assets and evacuation preparations should be the highest priority. We already know what areas are likely to flood. Paeng already gives us painful hindsight on that,” the lawmaker reiterated.