Strong winds damage infrastructure in Samar

MANILA, Philippines – Initial reports from the island of Samar show “bad” damage to infrastructure due to Typhoon Ruby’s (Hagupit) strong winds, according to National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council chief Alexander Pama. There are no reports of casualties so far.

“The initial observation is [that] the infrastructure and physical damage is, I will quote Secretary Mar [Roxas], the physical damage of structures is bad caused by wind not storm surge,” Pama told reporters on the sidelines of the NDRRMC operations center at 7am on Sunday, December 7. 

Interior Secretary Manuel Roxas leads government’s advance party in Eastern Samar, where Ruby made first landfall Saturday night, December 6, packing maximum sustained winds of 175 km/h near the center and gustiness of up to 210 km/h. 

Communication lines in several parts Eastern Samar and Leyte remain problematic. 

“Globe and Smart networks are currently down in some parts of Leyte and Eastern Samar,” according to the 6 am NDRRMC situation report. (READ: Cellphone signals down in Ruby-hit areas)

Power outages were reported in parts of Quezon, Iloilo, Northern Samar, Eastern Samar, Samar, Leyte and Southern Leyte. (READ: Ruby cuts power lines in Southern Luzon, Visayas)

Pama said an initial assessment is ongoing in Eastern Visayas while NDRRMC is watching Ruby’s second landfall in Masbate Sunday morning. 

As of Sunday morning, the military’s 8th Infantry Division has focused its monitoring on the following areas:

• Eastern Samar: Arteche, Jipapad, Maslog, Guiuan, Can-avid
• Northern Samar: Catarman, San Roque, Pambujan, Palapag, Mapanas

The military earlier reported flooding in Northern Samar that made some roads not passable.

In Samar, flooding was reported in Calbiga while landslide was reported at the highway in barangay Jian in Jiabong.

Pama said initial reports from Southern Leyte show “no major reports of casualties.” Evacuees may be sent home within in the day.

A total of 146,875 families or 716,639 persons are in evacuation centers in Regions IV-A, IV-B, V, VI, VII, VIII, and CARAGA, based on the 6am NDRRMC report.

A total of 2,459 passengers, 89 vessels, 689 rolling cargoes, and 3 motorbancas are still stranded.

Airports were closed in Naga and Legazpi in Albay, Tacloban City in Leyte and Calbayog in Samar. – Rappler.com