The Philippines suspended government work and shut schools as Tropical Storm Trami barrelled towards the country’s eastern coast.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Wednesday ordered responders to prepare ahead of its landfall.
Weather Office Forecast
State weather forecaster Pagasa said in its 11 a.m. (0300 GMT) bulletin Trami’s centre was last estimated at 200 km (124 miles) off the eastern town of Casiguran in Aurora province.
Trami — known locally as Kristine — has maintained its top sustained winds of 85 kilometers (53 miles) per hour, according to the latest notice from the nation’s weather bureau.
The storm is forecast to make landfall between Wednesday evening and early Thursday morning.
Government Agencies To Monitor Volume Of Rainfall
Marcos ordered government agencies to closely monitor the volume of rainfall in the coming days, preposition government resources and anticipate people’s needs.
“The worst is yet to come, I’m afraid. Let’s all prepare,” Marcos told a situation briefing.
“The volumes of water are unprecedented. We should closely monitor that.”
Measures To Equip All Evacuation Centres
The President said, “I want to assure all of you that we are responding with every resource available. We are in close coordination with local government units to ensure that all evacuation centres are equipped with lights, clean water and essential supplies.”
He said that he has also directed dam operators to take proactive steps by releasing water ahead of time to reduce the risk of downstream flooding.
“In the calamity-stricken Bicol region, we have been working around the clock to guarantee that aid is airlifted and delivered as quickly as possible,” he said.
He added, “We are also moving forward with early evacuations and pre-positioning relief goods in areas expected to be hit the hardest.”
Heavy Rain In Bicol
Ahead of the storm’s landfall, Trami dumped heavy rain in the central region of Bicol on Tuesday.
Residents were forced to run out of their homes as floodwaters reached as high as the roofs of bungalow houses.
Rivers overflowed and triggered flash floods, a disaster official said.
Two Months Of Rainfall In 24 Hours
“We got almost two months’ worth of rainfall in just 24 hours,” Albay provincial disaster chief Cedric Daep said by phone.
One Dead And Five Injured
The civil defence office said at least one person was reported dead in Palanas town in Masbate province after being hit by a falling branch.
Five others were injured and seven were reported missing.
Forecast Of Strong Winds, Heavy Rain And Storm
Pagasa warned of strong winds, heavy rain and storm surges in coastal towns within the typhoon’s path.
The storm also shut down government work and schools across the main island of Luzon.
Over 5,000 passengers and dozens of vessels have been stranded at ports, according to the Philippine Coast Guard.
Philippine Central Bank Suspends Currency Trading And Monetary Operations
The Philippine central bank on Wednesday suspended currency trading and monetary operations for the day.
Stock market trading however operated as normal.
Agencies involved in disaster response and vital services remained open, the office of the president said.
(With inputs from Reuters)
