TUGUEGARAO CITY, Cagayan (PIA) — The Regional Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (RDDRMC) in Region 2 has been placed on red alert as severe tropical storm ‘Julian’ impacts the area.
Romeo Ganal Jr., weather specialist of PAGASA Northern Luzon Bureau, tropical wind signals have been raised: signal number 4 in Batanes and the Babuyan Group of Islands, signal number 3 in northern Cagayan, signal number 2 in the rest of Cagayan, and signal number 1 in Isabela, Quirino, and Nueva Vizcaya provinces.
“We’ve issued a storm surge warning for coastal communities in Cagayan and Batanes. Residents in low-lying areas are urged to evacuate early due to potential storm surges,” Ganal advised.
Mia Carbonell, information officer of the Office of Civil Defense, reported that 29 families with 95 individuals in Batanes and 320 families with 1,015 individuals in Cagayan are currently affected and are in evacuation centers.
“We are actively monitoring the situation. The Department of Social Welfare and Development has prepositioned 7,000 food items in Batanes, and the province maintains a sufficient food supply,” Carbonell noted.
Additionally, there are 120,900 family food packs available across various municipalities in Cagayan and Batanes, along with a P3 million standby fund from DSWD ready for use as needed.
Rueli Rapsing, the provincial disaster risk reduction and management officer of Cagayan, stated that local government units are conducting relief operations for those affected by the storm.
“We are overseeing these operations and are prepared to provide additional support if required. Our response teams and rescue personnel are on standby for any necessary action,” Rapsing said.
He also urged residents in flood and landslide-prone areas to evacuate if conditions worsen. (OTB/PIA Region 2)
