Since Monday night, some areas in Eastern Visayas have been placed under signal No. 2 by the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) due to the threat of tropical storm “Dante.”
ONLINE classes and works at offices of local government units in Eastern Visayas have been suspended on Tuesday as tropical storm “Dante” threatens to cross the region.
Executive orders have been issued by local chief executives of Eastern Samar, Northern Samar, Catbalogan and Calbayog Cities in Samar, Borongan City in Eastern Samar, and Pinabacdao in Samar.
Tacloban City and the municipality of Tolosa in Leyte have also issued work and class suspensions due to the threat of the storm.
However, those involved in disaster risk management, peace and order, health and sanitation and traffic management are not included in the suspensions.
Since Monday night, some areas in Eastern Visayas have been placed under signal No. 2 by the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA).
As of Tuesday morning, signal No. 2 is up in all provinces in the region as the center of "Dante" was located 270 kilometers east of Maasin City, Southern Leyte.
It was moving west-northwestward with maximum sustained winds of 75 kilometers per hour near the center and gustiness up to 90 kilometers per hour.
The weather bureau also warned that heavy rains brought by the tropical storm may trigger flooding in major river systems in the Eastern Visayas region.
In an advisory, PAGASA identified several rivers in six provinces that would likely be affected by the downpour.
These rivers are Sangputan, Palo, Solano, Daguitan, Marabong, Cadacan, Bongquirogon, Salug, Pagbanagaran, Pagsangahan, and Binahaan in Leyte; and Catarman, Bugko, Pambujan, Catubig, Palapag, Mano, and Gamay in Northern Samar.
Other affected rivers are in Oras, Dolores, Ulot, Taft, Borongan, Suribao, Llorente, Balangiga, and Sulat in Eastern Samar; Basey, Silaga, Calbiga, and Jibatan in Samar; Bisay, Himbangan, and Pandan in Southern Leyte; and all river systems in Biliran.
The Department of Public Works and Highways Eastern Samar District Engineering Office (ESDEO) has also dispatched its Disaster Risk Reduction Management Team (DRRMT) to monitor the condition of national roads in the province.
Maintenance crew, drivers, and heavy equipment operators are already on standby in identified strategic locations in the towns of Dolores, Arteche, Taft, Gen. MacArthur, Guiuan and Borongan.
People living in low-lying areas near these river systems have been advised to stay alert for possible flash floods.
Those residing near mountain slopes have been told to watch out for signs of landslides. (JKA/with report from PNA)
Tags: #OpinYon8, #DantePH, #classsuspensions