Landslide warning in north Philippines | WPN World People News

Experts in the Philippines are warning of further possible landslides in the north of the country, less than one week after the southwest monsoon rains brought on by Typhoon Usagi displaced more than 100,000 people and left 30 dead.

Many residents are still cleaning up from last week’s rains.

“We’re on the lookout for rain-induced landslides and are currently conducting [a] pre-emptive evacuation in the areas that were most affected when the rains hit,” Graciela Macabare, provincial disaster risk reduction and management officer for Zambales Province, told IRIN. Zambales has experienced nine landslides.

Local DRRMC numbers estimate some 275 families from three towns in the province have already been relocated to four evacuation centres.

Nearly 600,000 people across six provinces [Bataan, Zambales, Rizal, Batangas, Cavite, Occidental Mindoro] have been affected by the heavy rain which began on 23 September, and more than 123,000 remain displaced, the Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (DRRMC) said on 27 September. The displaced are being sheltered - 86,186 are staying with family and friends, while 20,753 are in 103 evacuation centres.

New threat

Now, just days later, another tropical depression, “Paolo”, is on its way, with winds estimated at 55kph and its centre just 290km west of Zambales. The province is about 230km north of Manila, the Philippine capital, and is among those already badly hit by monsoon rains brought on by Typhoon Usagi.

“We expect Paolo to exit the Philippines by Saturday [28 September… after] moderate rainfall of about 5 to 7.5mm per hour,” said Aldczar Aurelio, a weather forecaster at the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA). Nevertheless, local authorities are on the lookout.

“The mountain sides are still heavily saturated with water. Even rain that is not strong, but is continuous, may cause further landslides,” warned Ricardo Otero, DRMMC municipal officer and administrator of Zambales.

Experts in the Philippines are warning of further possible landslides in the north of the country, less than one week after the southwest monsoon rains brought on by Typhoon Usagi displaced more than 100,000 people and left 30 dead.

“We’re on the lookout for rain-induced landslides and are currently conducting [a] pre-emptive evacuation in the areas that were most affected when the rains hit,” Graciela Macabare, provincial disaster risk reduction and management officer for Zambales Province, told IRIN. Zambales has experienced nine landslides.

Local DRRMC numbers estimate some 275 families from three towns in the province have already been relocated to four evacuation centres.

Nearly 600,000 people across six provinces [Bataan, Zambales, Rizal, Batangas, Cavite, Occidental Mindoro] have been affected by the heavy rain which began on 23 September, and more than 123,000 remain displaced, the Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (DRRMC) said on 27 September. The displaced are being sheltered - 86,186 are staying with family and friends, while 20,753 are in 103 evacuation centres.

New threat

Now, just days later, another tropical depression, “Paolo”, is on its way, with winds estimated at 55kph and its centre just 290km west of Zambales. The province is about 230km north of Manila, the Philippine capital, and is among those already badly hit by monsoon rains brought on by Typhoon Usagi.

“We expect Paolo to exit the Philippines by Saturday [28 September… after] moderate rainfall of about 5 to 7.5mm per hour,” said Aldczar Aurelio, a weather forecaster at the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA). Nevertheless, local authorities are on the lookout.

“The mountain sides are still heavily saturated with water. Even rain that is not strong, but is continuous, may cause further landslides,” warned Ricardo Otero, DRMMC municipal officer and administrator of Zambales.

Source: IRIN