Manila: Eight regions in the Philippines remained under water due to heavy rains after Typhoon Nepartak (also known as Butchoy) landed in Taiwan and China’s Fujian on July 8 and 9, following an earlier path near northern Luzon from July 4 to 6, sources said.
“The National Disaster Risk reduction and Management Council is still closely watching rainfall, episodes of floods and landslides in northern Cordillera Region, all of northern and central Luzon, Metro Manila, and southern Luzon,” NDRRMC Executive Director Ricardo Jalal told Gulf News.
“The public is advised to refrain from doing outdoor activities such as picnics near rivers and waterfalls, mountaineering, and spelunking — due to continuing threats of floods and landslides,” said Jalal, adding, “We have directed regional Office of Civil Defence to continue assessing all disaster areas even if the typhoon is already gone.”
“Saturday [yesterday] is the most extreme rainfall estimate that we have. This is due to the enhanced monsoon rains that were attracted by Typhoon Nerpatak after it had left the Philippines and had gone to Taiwan and China,” said Esperanza Cayanan, chief of the state-run weather station Pagasa.
“Southern Luzon’s Mindoro, including Metro Manila — they are 400 kilometres away from northern Luzon — are still inundated with relentless rains. Three rivers in southern Luzon’s Calapan are in danger of overflowing,” said Cayanan, adding, “Some 1,000 residents in Hermosa, Bataan (central Luzon) experienced waist-deep waters which cascaded from nearby mountains.”
“Reports from northern Luzon (which is nearer Taiwan) are more dismal,” said Cayanan, but did not give details.
Because of Nepartak’s belated effect, it has been called a “phantom typhoon,” said Josie Cruz, a resident in Metro Manila’s Quezon City which has been witnessing dark and cloudy days since July 6.
The social welfare department said it has distributed relief goods and supplies to isolated areas that were affected by heavy rain.
There were no reported deaths in all affected provinces, said the interior and local government department.
Nepartak was a tropical depression when it developed on the Pacific Ocean off Guam on June 30. It was quite weak when it entered the Philippines’ area of responsibility near north on July 4, but it became a super typhoon with sustained winds at 280 kilometre-per hour as it headed to Taiwan on July 6. It left Taiwan Strait on July 8, and made a landfall over Shishi, Fujian on July 9.
About 20 storms devastate the Philippines every year.
