CALBAYOG CITY, Samar, (PNA) — The city government of Calbayog in Samar has advised residents in low-lying and flood-prone areas to be ready, take necessary precautions, and be kept informed about the typhoon.
The local government unit here since Tuesday has been reaching out to its constituents, warning them of the impending tropical storm “Yolanda” that is expected to enter the Philippine area of responsibility Thursday morning and affect Samar and Leyte probably Friday morning.
This warning was made public by City Tourism and Information Officer Ronald Ricafort due to worries that “Yolanda” could become a super typhoon.
To intensify the city’s preparations, the City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office also convened today, Wednesday, to identify other tasks appropriate to arrest the impact of the tropical storm.
“Let’s pray and hope the powerful typhoon will deteriorate from its present condition as it enters the Philippine Area of Responsibility”, said Ricafort, but also stressed, “let’s be safe all the time.”
Latest advisory of the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) on typhoon “Yolanda” (international code name: “Haiyan”) issued at 10:30 a.m. Wednesday, November 6, said the eye of the typhoon was last located at 1,411 kilometers east of Mindanao with maximum sustained winds of 150 kilometers per hour (kph) and gusts of up to 185 kph.
“Yolanda” is also projected to cause rains in other parts of the Philippines, raising the threat of flooding and mudslides.