UN Philippines braces for Typhoon Ompong

https://www.philstar.com/nation/2018/09/11/1850585/neneng-exits-philippines-braces-typhoon-ompong


MANILA, Philippines — All cyclone warning signals have been lifted on Tuesday morning as Tropical Depression Neneng leaves the Philippine area of responsibility.

As of 4 a.m., Neneng was located 295 kilometers west of Basco, Batanes with maximum sustained winds of 60 kilometers per hour ang gustiness of up to 75 kph.

Early tomorrow, it will be 550 km away from Basco, Batanes.


The cyclone, however, will continue bring scattered light to moderate to at times heavy rains over Ilocos provinces, Cordillera Administrative Region and Cagayan Valley, the state weather bureau says.

"Residents in these areas, especially those living near river channels, in low-lying areas and in mountainous areas, are advised to take appropriate actions against possible flooding and landslides, coordinate with local disaster risk reduction and management offices, and to continue monitoring for updates," PAGASA's latest bulletin reads.

Potential super typhoon
A new typhoon, however, is fast approaching the country's vicinity. Typhoon Mangkhut is expected to reach PAR by midweek and will track toward the northern tip of the country, reaching it by the weekend.

Mangkhut will be locally named "Ompong" once inside the country's jurisdiction. Since it is still over the ocean, state meteorologists expect the typhoon to gain in strength, likely reaching "super typhoon" level of more than 220 kilometers per hour.

As of posting time, Mangkhut is packing maximum sustained winds of 110 knots or 203 kilometers per hour, according to estimates of the United States Navy's Joint Typhoon Warning Center. The cyclone also have gusts of up to 130 knots or 250 kph.

image: https://media.philstar.com/images/articles/jtwc-mangkhut_2018-09-11_08-13-05_gallery_0.jpg

JTWC's forecast track of Typhoon Mangkhut as of 7 a.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 11, 2018.
image: https://media.philstar.com/images/articles/pagasa-ompong_2018-09-11_08-13-05_gallery_1.jpg

PAGASA's satelite imagery showing the location of two cyclones, Neneng and Mangkhut (local name Ompong) as of 5 a.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 11, 2018.
<
>
It was also recorded to be moving at a sluggish pace of 31 kph.

PAGASA weather specialist Chris Perez saysa cyclone warning signal is likely to be raised as early as Thursday over the Cagayan Valley region.

 

[sasazuka]

It seems like Hong Kong will be more affected by Ompong than the Philippines will be, assuming that track holds.

Isn't most of northern Luzon rice paddies tended to by Ifugao tribespeople? Not that I want anything bad to happen there, but the population is relatively sparse and it's not getting the worst of the storm anyway.

EDIT: Oops, my bad, the tracking chart's for Mangkhut, as is clearly labeled.

Is there a tracking chart for Ompong somewhere? I definitely hope Luzon isn't too badly affected.

 

[sasazuka]

Mangkhut did skew a little southward compared to the model, so the eye did make landfall in far northern Luzon.

Click on this link to see animated satellite images of Typhoon Mangkhut crossing Luzon.

Typhoon Mangkhut is not "over" in the Philippines but the eye seems to have completely crossed Luzon, entering the South China Sea somewhere around Laoag City.

EDIT: Oh, Ompong and Mangkhut are one and the same storm, I didn't quite understand that.

Anyway, April Rafales of ABS-CBN has some pictures and videos of the damage on her Twitter.

Smashed windows at a Jolibee in Laoag City.

Collapsed gas station, also in Laoag City.

Intense winds in Pagudpud, Ilocos Norte.

 

[Positron]

Ompong and Mangkhut are one and the same storm, I didn't quite understand that

West Pacific cyclones have funky names; the name list is gathered from a dozen or so countries (and regions) most likely to be affected. The official name of this one, "Mangkhut", is Thai for "mangosteen", and individual countries call it by their own name of the fruit.

 

[PS1gamenwatch]

https://www.philstar.com/headlines/...eople-reported-dead-ompong-lashes-philippines

image: http://media.philstar.com/images/articles/ompong-dead_2018-09-15_15-50-31.jpg

3 people reported dead as ‘Ompong’ lashes the Philippines

Rescue workers clear a road of debris and toppled electric posts caused by strong winds due to super Typhoon Mangkhut as they try to reach Baggao town in Cagayan province, north of Manila September 15, 2018. Super Typhoon Mangkhut slammed into the northern Philippines, with violent winds and torrential rains, as authorities warned millions in its path of potentially heavy destruction.
AFP/Ted Aljibe


LIVE UPDATES: Typhoon Ompong


As of reporting, Jalad said there were 51 incidents recorded in typhoon-battered areas, 42 of which were landslides.

Meanwhile, no casualties were reported in the coastal town of Baggao in Cagayan province, where “Ompong” made a landfall early Saturday, Jalad said.

“As we go on, the number of reported casualties may go up,” he said in a mix of English and Filipino.

For its part, the Philippine National Police said that aside from the two reported casualties due to "Ompong," a girl aged around nine to 12 years old was found dead in Marikina river. But Jalad said this report is still being verified.

Meanwhile, two people were injured in Baguio City and Itogon, Benguet due to landslide while another two were wounded due to electrocution, the PNP also said. There were two missing persons due to landslide, the PNP added.

According to state weather forecasters, "Ompong" continues to weaken after it hit land. Many areas are still under storm signal warnings.

Powerful winds and heavy rain brought by the massive storm have set off landslides in areas it pounded. It also caused heavy damage on an airport terminal, knocked out power and communication lines and blew off roofs. — Ian Nicolas Cigaral

 

[sasazuka]

I could imagine that the death toll will rise to the dozens and outside chance that it'll be in the low hundreds, sadly, but I doubt Ompong/Mangkhut will come close to matching Typhoon Yolanda/Haiyan's death toll in the Philippines in November 2013, which was over 6,300 oficially and with another thousand "missing" (still missing nearly 5 years later?), since Yolanda hit in the Visayas where the population on some islands is very dense compared to northern Luzon.

 

[PS1gamenwatch]

https://www.rappler.com/nation/212058-australia-japan-offer-help-typhoon-ompong

Australia, Japan offer Typhoon Ompong assistance
(UPDATED) The United States also says it is ready to help the Philippines deal with Typhoon Ompong's effects

https://www.rappler.com/authorprofile/paterno-esmaquel
Paterno Esmaquel II
@paterno_ii
Published 12:08 PM, September 15, 2018
Updated 12:49 PM, September 15, 2018

SEEKING SHELTER. Families set up temporary sleeping areas inside classrooms of the Delpan Evacuation Center in Manila as they voluntarily leave their homes due to strong winds and rain brought by Typhoon Ompong on September 15, 2018. Photo by Ben Nabong/Rappler








MANILA, Philippines (UPDATED) – Australia and Japan have offered help as Typhoon Ompong (Mangkhut) affects thousands of Filipinos, said the Philippine government on Saturday, September 15.

"Yes, there are offers of international assistance from Australia and Japan right now, but we're still waiting for the assessment if there will be a widescale need for international assistance," said Edward Yulo of the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA).




Yulo, special assistant at the DFA Office of the Undersecretary for Civilian Security and Consular Concerns, disclosed this in an interagency briefing led by Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque on Saturday morning.

Yulo said the assessment on whether the Philippines needs widescale international assistance will likely come on Tuesday, September 18.

"They will make an announcement whether there will be a need. But we are accepting international assistance based on the needs of the various agencies," Yulo said.

The United States also said it is ready to help the Philippines deal with Ompong's effects.

"Our thoughts are with those affected by Typhoon Ompong. The US, as a friend, partner, and ally of the Philippines, stands ready to assist," said US Ambassador to the Philippines Sung Kim in a tweet around noon on Saturday.


Ompong has affected at least 31,631 families across 5 regions in the Philippines so far, said the Philippine government.

At least 13,413 families remain in evacuation centers. – Rappler.com

 

[sasazuka]

Would I be wrong in thinking the Philippines was pretty well-prepared for a typhoon this time around if they were able to house tens of thousands of families in evacuation centres?

 

[PS1gamenwatch]

Now it hits China:

Typhoon Mangkhut Reaches China As The Philippines Searches For Survivors
September 16, 20181:53 PM ET

In the grips of Typhoon Mangkhut on Sunday, waves crashed against the coastline in Zhuhai, southern China's Guangdong province. The storm has torn through the Philippines, Hong Kong and Macau.

Liang Xu/AP
Typhoon Mangkhut began to lash southern China on Sunday, the latest stop along a destructive path that has left dozens dead and many missing.

At least 64 people have died in the Philippines, according to The Associated Press. Two people were reported killed in China's Guangdong province, according to Chinese state media.

As the typhoon approached the Pearl River Delta, the country's National Observatory issued its highest alert level. Hundreds of flights were canceled. Thousands of fishing boats were called back to port. And more than 2.4 million people were relocated, according to the AP.



In Hong Kong, videos posted to social media showed buildings swaying, roofs torn off, scaffolding collapsingand windows blown out by fierce winds. Gusts of winds reached up to 127 miles per hour, NPR's Rob Schmitz reported, sending debris flying. On flooded streets that resembled rivers, some residents traveled by canoe.

Waves along the Hong Kong coastline reached as high as 40 feet, according to The New York Times. Authorities were preparing to protect two nuclear plants, Taishan and Yangjiang along the coastline. "All emergency duty personnel of Taishan Nuclear Power have been on the job, all preparations have been implemented, and the Taishan Nuclear Power Base is ready," managers said in a statement, according to the Times.

After the typhoon hit Macau, 15 people were reported injured and 20,000 households lost power, according to the South China Morning Post. Electricity supplier Companhia de Electricidade de Macau said it suspended power to low-lying areas and will return it when the water level recedes.

The government announced the closure of its bustling casinos, heritage sites and museums. Schools will be suspended for a day, the South China Morning Postreported.

Mangkhut arrived in China after making landfall Saturday morning on Luzon, the largest island in the Philippines. With sustained winds of more than 120 mph, it was stronger than Hurricane Florence when it made landfall with the Carolinas.

Dozens of people have died and more are feared to be trapped by landslides, especially in the Cordillera mountain region.

Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte traveled to Cagayan province Sunday to assess the damage and recovery efforts. "I share the grief of those who lost loved ones," he said, calling it "an act of God," according to the Philippine News Agency. He also saidhe was "very, very satisfied" with the government's overall response.



The National Food Authority planned to release nearly 5,000 bags of rice to relief agencies and local government units, the Philippine Information Agency stated.

The Philippine Red Cross shared video and images of rescue efforts, including a nighttime search for families in "neck deep floods." The ceiling of a district hospital, "leaving the emergency room, laboratory, Out Patient Department, terrace and lobby unusable," it said.

The military planned to send two C-130 airplanes and 10 helicopters for relief and rescue operations, according to CNN.

By 8 p.m. local time in China, the Hong Kong Observatory said winds had weakened. It downgraded its warning level for the typhoon. "As gales and violent squalls are still occurring in places, precautions should not yet be relaxed," it added.

Mangkhut is expected to move west over northern Vietnam.

 

[PS1gamenwatch]

Low pressure area to hit tthe PH after the typhoon:

https://news.abs-cbn.com/video/news/09/20/18/new-storm-brewing-east-of-philippines-pagasa

New storm brewing east of Philippines: PAGASA
ABS-CBN News
Posted at Sep 20 2018 08:03 AM | Updated as of Sep 20 2018 08:39 AM


MANILA -- A low pressure area or brewing storm was spotted off the Philippines' Pacific coast, one week after typhoon Ompong (Mangkhut) lashed the northern Philippines triggering landslides and floods that killed dozens of people, the state weather bureau said Thursday.

The weather system was located 2,300 kilometers off Mindanao at 6 a.m. and is expected to enter the Philippine area of responsibility on Friday evening or Saturday morning, said PAGASA meteorologist Gener Quitlong.

It could intensify into a storm by Sunday or Monday and will be named Paeng, he told radio DZMM.

The LPA is unlikely to hit land, but will hover close to Batanes and may enhance the habagat or southwest monsoon, Quitlong said.

Batanes and other northern provinces over the weekend bore the brunt of Ompong's onslaught. The typhoon, the world's strongest so far this year, swamped large tracts of farmlands just weeks from harvest. At least 81 people were killed, according to authorities.

An inter-tropical convergence zone or band of clouds will bring scattered rains over Metro Manila, Central Luzon, Calabarzon, Mimaropa, Central and Eastern Visayas and the whole Mindanao on Thursday, said Quitlong.

Visit the ABS-CBN Weather Center for the latest weather updates.

DZMM, 20 September 2018

 

[sasazuka]

The LPA is unlikely to hit land, but will hover close to Batanes and may enhance the habagat or southwest monsoon, Quitlong said.

"Habagat", that's an interesting word. So the Philippines gets monsoons from the southwest in the summer (Habagat) and from the northeast in the winter (Amihan)?

 

[sasazuka]

This is sad. While deaths directly attributable to Typhoon Ompong/Mangkhut were concentrated in the north of Luzon, the typhoon also intensified Habagat monsoon rains across the country, leading to a landslide in Naga, Camarines Sul, on the Bicol Peninsula, southeast Luzon (so southeast of Manila) which has killed at least 21 people and dozens more are missing.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/world/landslide-buries-houses-philippines-typhoon-1.4831121

Landslide buries dozens as Philippines grapples with typhoon's aftermath

A massive landslide buried dozens of homes near a central Philippine mountain on Thursday, killing at least 21 people and sending rescuers scrambling to find survivors after some sent text messages pleading for help.​

The slide surged down on about 30 houses in two rural villages after daybreak in Naga city in Cebu province, Roderick Gonzales, police chief of the coastal city, told The Associated Press by telephone as he helped supervise the search and rescue. Seven injured villagers were rescued from the huge mound of earth and debris.

Some victims still managed to send text messages after the landslide hit, Gonzales said. He said elderly women and a child were among the dead.

Nimrod Parba, 26, said a relative trapped in a house beneath the rubble managed to call Thursday morning and begged to be rescued. The calls stopped, however, and the relative could not be reached hours later, Parba said.

Kristine Vanessa Chiong, mayor of Naga city, which has a population of over 100,000, said by telephone that at least 64 people remained missing.

"We're really hoping we can still recover them alive."

The landslide hit while several northern Philippine provinces were still dealing with deaths and widespread damage wrought by Typhoon Mangkhut, which pummelled the agricultural region Saturday, and left at least 88 people dead and more than 60 missing. A massive search was still underway for dozens of people feared dead after landslides in the gold-mining town of Itogon in the north.​

Read more on the CBC site.