Vinta sweeps across Cagayan

MANILA, Philippines - Typhoon Vinta headed to the South China Sea yesterday, leaving the Philippine area of responsibility.

The typhoon left in its wake uprooted trees and toppled power lines that plunged wide areas of Cagayan Valley in darkness and closed travel by land from Tuguegarao to Aparri.

In Abra, two fishermen were reported missing after they were swept away by floodwaters in San Juan town before dawn yesterday when Vinta made landfall, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) said.

Another person also went missing after being swept by rampaging floodwaters at the Cagayan River in Cabagan, Isabela on Thursday.

“Power was down and scores of municipalities were isolated. Many roads were unpassable. Toppled electrical posts and uprooted trees were blocking the highway,” Bonifacio Cuarteros, head of the Cagayan Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (PDRRMC), said.

In Tuguegarao City, electricity was shut down for safety reasons as power lines started snapping as Vinta pummeled northern Cagayan Valley while heading towards the direction of Ilocos region Thursday evening.

Cuarteros added 95 families from the coastal town of Gonzaga, two from Sta. Teresita and one from Ballesteros were evacuated.

“The storm was very strong. While we are waiting for damage reports to come in, we could only pray and hope that our constituents out there are safe,” Cuarteros said.

He added they are expecting huge damage to crops and agriculture from the storm.

The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) reported a total of 2,301 people were affected by Vinta, with 1,446 from Ilocos Region, 405 from Cagayan Valley, and 450 from the Cordillera Region.

Maj. Emmanuel Garcia, commander of the Northern Luzon (Nolcom) Civil Relations Group, said troops helped personnel from the Department of Public Works and Highways (DWPH) in clearing the debris of fallen trees and toppled power lines along the Tuguegarao-Aparri highway.

Garcia said troops from the Army’s 21st Infantry Battalion are also conducting road clearing operations along the Maharlika road in the coastal portion of Cagayan province, where cellular sites are also down.

“The troops are now conducting road clearing and damage assessment operations. As of 9 a.m. yesterday still no cellphone contact in the area. Contacts with the troops are done through the military’s communication system,” Garcia said.

On the other hand, Abra Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council head Hector Camcam said search and rescue operations is still continuing for 30-year-old Loridel Baldoz, who was swept by the flooding river while he was checking his boat in Barangay Quidaoen, San Juan town before dawn yesterday.

Baldoz along with his fishing buddy Judel Delio, 30, were about to go out fishing when the rampaging river swept them. Delio was able to save himself by holding on to a bamboo raft. He reported the incident to local authorities.

Gerry Gatan, of Cabagan, Isabela also went missing after he fell overboard from his fishing boat in Cagayan River.

Storm signals lifted

In Baguio City and Benguet province, light rainshowers continue even as Vinta moved out of the Philippine area of responsibility yesterday noon.

The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said Vinta (international name Krosa) has left the Philippine area of responsibility at around 1 p.m. yesterday and based on its last track, it is moving west northwest and headed toward the southern part of China.

PAGASA also lowered all  storm warning signals in the country.

As of 3 p.m. yesterday, the typhoon was at 270 kilometers west northwest of Laoag City. Until it left the Philippine area of responsibility, it was able to maintain its strength at 130 kilometers per hour (kph) near the center and gustiness of up to 160 kph. It is said to be moving at 22 kph.

In its 4 p.m. weather forecast, PAGASA said an intertropical convergence zone is affecting Mindanao, which would have cloudy skies with light to moderate rainshowers and thunderstorms.

Metro Manila and the rest of the country would have partly cloudy to cloudy with isolated rainshowers or thunderstorms mostly in the afternoon or evening.

Moderate to strong winds blowing from the southeast would prevail over Luzon and its coastal waters would be moderate to rough.

Elsewhere, the winds would be light to moderate coming from the east to northeast with slight to moderate seas. – Jaime Laude, Raymund Catindig, Rainier Allan Ronda