Pinoys in U.S. told: Heed ‘Sandy’ warnings

NOTE: Filipinos who may require assistance due to Hurricane Sandy may call the Duty Officer of the Philippine Embassy in Washington D.C at 202-368-2767 or the Consulates General in New York (917-294-0196) or Chicago (312-501-6458).

MANILA, Philippines (UPDATED) – Heed warnings and stay out of the way of Hurricane Sandy, the Philippine Embassy in the United States urged Filipino citizens in the US East Coast and the Great Lakes region.

“As the situation here in the East Coast would only get worse, I would like to underscore the urgent need for Filipinos, particularly in the New York and New Jersey areas, to stay indoors until US authorities declare that the danger posed by Hurricane Sandy is over,” Ambassador Jose Cuisia Jr said in the embassy’s latest advisory for the Filipino community.

“What is barreling towards us is one of the most powerful storms to strike the US mainland… Ondoy is nothing compared to the devastation that Hurricane Sandy is expected to unleash,” Cuisia said.

Echoing warnings from American authorities, the Philippine embassy reminded FIlipinos should have already stocked up on food and other provisions, as power outages and transport problems could last several days.

The Filipino-American communities initially seen to be most affected by the storm will be those in North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Virginia, District of Columbia, Maryland, Delaware, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York and Connecticut.

The embassy has also released a warning for the Filipino community in the Great Lakes region to prepare for the effects of the storm.

“[The] estimated 38,900 Filipinos in Ohio and Michigan should continue to monitor local media for storm-related announcements and avoid the coastlines of the Great Lakes as Hurricane Sandy is expected to make its way up the Northeastern United States after making landfall in New Jersey,” the embassy said in its fifth hurricane advisory.

The storm is expected to merge with other storms as it moves to the said area and could trigger extreme weather conditions and high waves at Lake Huron, Lake Michigan, and Lake St Clair until Thursday.

The ambassador said Philippine posts in Washington, DC, and in New York City will have essential staff on 24-hour standby to help Filipinos affected by the storm.

Personnel will remain in the Embassy “as long as necessary” to help citizens, especially Filipino tourists, seafarers, businessmen, and overseas workers.

Mega-storm Sandy made landfall along the coast of New Jersey late Monday, bringing hurricane-force winds and heavy rains to a wide swathe of the US East Coast, officials said.

Maximum sustained winds weakened on landfall to 80 miles (130 kilometers) per hour but were still hurricane-strength, the Miami-based National Hurricane Center said, adding that the eye of the storm struck near Atlantic City. – Rappler.com, with the Agence France-Presse

NOTE: Filipinos who may require assistance due to Hurricane Sandy may call the Duty Officer of the Philippine Embassy in Washington D.C at 202-368-2767 or the Consulates General in New York (917-294-0196) or Chicago (312-501-6458).