Philippines intensifies disaster response preparations for Typhoon 'Hagupit'

The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) has intensified its disaster response preparations for Typhoon Hagupit (Local name "Typhoon Ruby").

Update 02:00 UTC

Philippines has issued severe weather bulletin at 5:00 a.m, 06 December 2014.

• The eye of Typhoon Hagupit is currently located 240 km East Northeast of Borongan, Eastern Samar.
• Typhoon Hagupit is expected to make landfall Sunday morning over the Eastern Samar.
• About 7.5 – 20 mm per hour (heavy – intense) rainfall is forecasted within the 600 km diameter of the typhoon.
• Public Storm Warning Signal #3 has been issued in VISAYAS: Northern Samar, Eastern Samar, Samar.
• Flashfloods and landslides alerts have been issued for people living in low lying mountainous area.
• Public Storm Warning Signal #2 is in effect for LUZON: Catanduanes, Albay, Sorsogon and Masbate including Ticao Island; VISAYAS: Biliran, Leyte, Southern Leyte, Northern Cebu including Cebu City, Bantayan Island and Camotes Island; MINDANAO: Dinagat Province.
• Public Storm Warning Signal #1 has been issued for LUZON: Camarines Norte, Camarines Sur, Burias Island, Romblon, Southern Quezon and Marinduque.; VISAYAS: Capiz, Iloilo, Antique, Guimaras, Aklan, Negros Oriental, Negros Occidental, Rest of Cebu, Siquijor and Bohol; MINDANAO: Surigao del Sur, Surigao del Norte including Siargao Island, Agusan del Norte, Agusan del Sur and Camiguin.
• Naval Task Group Ruby composed of Naval Task Units; each for Sea lift, Search Rescue and Retrieval, Relief, Engineering, Support and other Logistics have been activated in Philippines.

Following flights have been cancelled due to bad weather on Saturday, December 6, 2014:

2P-2079 MNL-Catarman,
2P-2080 Catarman-MNL,
2P-2071 MNL-Calbayog,
2P-2072 Calbayog-MNL,
2P-2265 MNL-Naga,
2P-2266 Naga-MNL,
2P-2261 MNL-Naga,
2P-2262 Naga-MNL,
2P-2095 MNL-Surigao,
2P-2096 Surigao-MNL,
2P-2925 MNL-Legazpi,
2P-2926 Legazpi-MNL,
2P-2927 MNL-Legazpi,
2P-2928 Legazpi-MNL,
2P-2021 MNL-Masbate,
2P-2022 Masbate-MNL,
2P-2981 MNL-Tacloban,
2P-2982 Tacloban-MNL,
2P-2191 MNL-Tacloban,
2P-219 2 Tacloban-MNL,
2P-2193 MNL-Tacloban,
2P-2194 Tacloban-MNL,
2P-2085 MNL-Tacloban,
2P-2086 Tacloban-MNL.

Some of the emergency hotline numbers are as follows:

National Disaster and Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) hotlines

Trunklines: 911-5061 to 65
Operations Center: (02)911-1406, (02)912-2665, (02)912-5668,(02) 911-1873

Philippine National Police (PNP) hotline patrol

Hotline: 117
722-0650
Text hotline: 0917-847-5757

Red Cross

Hotline: 143, (02) 527-0000, (02) 527-8385 to 95
Disaster Management Office: 134 (Staff), 132 (Manager), 133 (Radio Room)
Telefax: 527-0864

Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA)

Text hotline: 0917-8396242 (TEXNAIA)
Terminals 1, 2, and 4: 877-1109 local 2444
Terminal 3: 877-7888 local 8046

Philippine National Railways (PNR)

Control Division: (02) 319-0044

Photo shows emergency response equipment being prepared last night in Borongan, Eastern Samar (Credit: The Presidential Communications Development and Strategic Planning Office, @pcdspo)

Related Post: Recent Natural disasters in Philippines

Typhoon Hagupit is expected to make its first landfall in Eastern Samar on Saturday and will affect Southern Luzon, MIMAROPA (Mindoro, Marinduque, Romblon, and Palawan), Bicol Region, Western, Central, and Eastern Visayas.

Currently, there are 30,494 individuals living in the 120 evacuation centers in Eastern Visayas, and Caraga.

A total of 216,756 family food packs worth P71.4 million are available and prepositioned in DSWD-Field Offices along the typhoon’s path, The Official Gazette of the Republic of the Philippines mentioned. Standby funds amounting to P8.5 million has also been earmarked for the purchase of emergency relief supplies, when needed.

The Philippine government had also sent food and medical supplies to central provinces in the path of Hagupit on Wednesday. AFP units/soldiers are preparing for Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Response in coordination with LGUs, DSWD and other line govt agencies.

The Red Cross is taking emergency preparedness measures as the storm approaches. Philippine Red Cross disaster response teams and volunteers are ready to support evacuations in high-risk areas if necessary, American Red Cross Disaster Online Newsroom has mentioned.

The local Red Cross in Talcoban is ready to provide first aid support and disaster relief items such as food, sleeping mats and hygiene kits are being prepared, The Disaster Online Newsroom has added.

The Hawaii-based Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC) of the US Navy categorized tropical cyclone ''Hagupit'' into a super typhoon on Thursday. The typhoon Hagupit intensified into a Category 5 super typhoon during December 4.

Typhoon Hagupit is currently the second most intense tropical cyclone in 2014 which is heading towards Philippines.

Original post: Natural Disasters List December 5, 2014