Cagayan braces for Tropical Storm 'Goring'
At A Glance
- The Cagayan Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (PDRRMO) has been placed under a Red Alert Status in anticipation of Tropical Storm Goring.
- Under a Red Alert Status, local chief executives must conduct evacuation of residents in areas prone to flooding and landslides.
- As of 10 a.m., Goring was spotted at 270 kilometers east of Calayan, Cagayan while packing maximum sustained winds of 85 kilometers per hour (kph) and gustiness of 105 kph. It was slowly moving south, southwest toward Cagayan.
Local government units (LGUs) in Cagayan province were told to conduct pre-emptive evacuation especially for residents in low-lying and coastal communities in anticipation of the possible effects of Tropical Storm “Goring”.
The Cagayan Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (PDRRMO) has been placed under a Red Alert Status as the province braces for Goring while still reeling from the impact of the previous typhoons “Betty” in May and “Egay” in July.
“We already raised the alert level to Red Alert Status which is equivalent to Charlie protocol under the Oplan Listo of the DILG [ Department of the Interior and Local Government], of which, local chief executives must conduct evacuation of residents in prone areas,” Cagayan PDRRMO head Ruelie Rapsing said in a televised public briefing on Friday, August 25.
As of 10 a.m., Goring was spotted at 270 kilometers east of Calayan, Cagayan while packing maximum sustained winds of 85 kilometers per hour (kph) and gustiness of 105 kph. It was slowly moving south, southwest toward Cagayan.
The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) placed several areas under Tropical Cyclone Wind Signal (TCWS) No. 1 including the eastern portion of mainland Cagayan (Santa Ana, Gonzaga, Lal-lo, Gattaran, Baggao, and Peñablanca), Batanes, eastern portion of Babuyan Islands (Babuyan Island and Camiguin Island), and northeastern portion of Isabela (Maconacon, Divilacan, Palanan).
Rapsing said the Cagayan PDRRMO has also alerted its Task Force Lingkod Cagayan which has seven stations all over the province to make sure all of its search and rescue (SAR) assets and personnel are prepared to respond to any eventuality.
“Our areas of concern will be the same during the time of Betty and Egay so these include the northwestern and northeastern municipalities, as well as the island municipality of Calayan up north. These are the areas that may be affected by Tropical Storm Goring and hopefully, it will not develop into a super typhoon,” Rapsing said.
National government agencies and international and local non-government organizations (NGOs) conducting recovery and rehabilitation efforts in areas devastated by the previous storms, particularly in Fuga Island and Calayan Island, were advised to return to the mainland province to avoid being stranded.
Rapsing said that Goring may pass through the province on August 30 or 31.
At present, cloudy skies were already observed in Cagayan but residents have yet to feel strong rains or winds, he added.
Fishermen were also prohibited from sailing as PAGASA released a gale warning in the area.
The state weather bureau said that Goring slightly intensified while the southwest monsoon or habagat continues to affect Central and Southern Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao.
It said cloudy skies with scattered rain showers and thunderstorms would prevail over Cagayan Valley (Region 2), Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR), and Ilocos Region (Region 1) due to the trough of Goring while Palawan, Occidental Mindoro, Zambales, and Bataan will experience cloudy skies with scattered rain showers and thunderstorms due to habagat.
On the other hand, Metro Manila and the rest of the country would experience partly cloudy to cloudy skies with isolated rain showers or thunderstorms due to habagat or localized thunderstorms.