‘More flash floods, landslides’

MANILA, Philippines — While winds brought by Typhoon Ompong have weakened, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) yesterday cautioned that flash floods and landslides could still occur in the affected areas.

“Even if Ompong is already out of the Philippine area of responsibility, the outer spiral of the typhoon may still affect the country,” PAGASA assistant weather services chief Renito Paciente said Saturday night.

Ompong (international name Mangkhut) barreled towards Southern China yesterday after wreaking havoc in Northern Luzon, smashing houses, destroying crops and leaving people dead.

Rescue workers started clearing roads of debris, felled trees and toppled electric posts in provinces pummeled by ferocious winds and heavy rains early Saturday.

PAGASA said no new weather disturbance is expected to affect the country in the next two to three days.

Packing winds of 205 kilometers per hour, Ompong – the most powerful cyclone to hit the country this year – made landfall over Baggao, Cagayan at 1:40 a.m. Saturday.

Ompong remained a strong typhoon as it departed the Philippine area of responsibility Saturday night.

As of 10 a.m. yesterday, the eye of the typhoon was spotted at 705 kilometers west northwest of Calayan, Cagayan with maximum sustained winds of 145 kph near the center and gustiness of up to 180 kph.

Ompong was forecast to move northwest toward Southern China at a speed of 30 kph.

Although Ompong has left the country, its outer cloud band and the enhanced southwest monsoon continued to bring rains over the western section of Luzon yesterday, PAGASA weather forecaster Gener Quitlong said.

Quitlong added that good weather, apart from isolated rain showers and thunderstorms, would prevail in most parts of the country, including the areas devastated by Ompong, in the next two to three days.

Presidential political adviser Francis Tolentino said the fatalities were from the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR), Nueva Vizcaya and Ilocos region, the areas hardest-hit by Ompong.

Tolentino said most of the victims died from landslides, adding that they are still searching for individuals in the CAR.

President Duterte designated Tolentino as “conduit” to coordinate government rescue and relief efforts in the regions directly in Ompong’s path.

Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade said Ompong caused “minimal” damage to infrastructure amounting to about P35 million to 45 million. – With Helen Flores