Situation Overview
At around 5:30 pm on September 25, category storm 4 Karding (I.N.Noru) made landfall in the vicinity of Burdeos, Quezon. It first hit the terrains of Polillo Islands before making a second landfall in Dinangalan, Aurora province. According to reports, the super typhoon resulted in at least six deaths, knocked out power in two provinces, and forced thousands of people to evacuate their homes. STY Karding weakened as it passed over the Sierra Madre, the country’s longest mountain range. However, forecasters expected it to strengthen again to the equivalent of a category 3 typhoon as it moved through the warm waters of the South China Sea. On September 26, STY Karding exited the Philippine area of responsibility.
In the agriculture sector, STY Karding’s impact is expected to be also felt in the prices of rice as the typhoon’s trail of destruction passed through Central Luzon, which is considered the country’s rice granary. These provinces were ravaged by the typhoon before the harvest season, therefore the prices of rice are also expected to increase. Damages and losses in agriculture caused by the super typhoon have increased to P160.1 million, based on the latest data provided by the Department of Agriculture.
Following the onslaught of STY Karding, the impacted provinces in Central Luzon are in need of emergency assistance. Widespread flooding from the typhoon’s rains wreaked havoc on the provinces of Aurora and Nueva Ecija, where only the main road remained accessible for vehicles. Meanwhile, some towns in Pampanga and Bulacan remain flooded. After the typhoon slammed the country, residents of San Ildefonso Bulacan appeal for help as their houses remain submerged in flooding. As of this writing, power outages are currently experienced in the said area while access to clean water is also a concern among the residents of Ildefonso. The typhoon also left knee-deep floods in twenty-three barangays in Macabebe and Masantol, Pampanga.
Meanwhile, several indigenous villages in Lubayat, Real Quezon are among the most vulnerable communities affected by STY Karding, according to the rapid assessment conducted by the STPRC, one of our regional centers on the ground. The typhoon left immense damage to their livelihood as it toppled several banana trees, and destroyed their ready-to-harvest root crops. In Panukulan in Polillo Island, residents in coastal and landslide-prone areas bore the brunt of the typhoon. Several houses reportedly sustained damage or were completely destroyed. Many fishermen lost their livelihood equipment such as boats and fishing nets due to violent waves caused by the typhoon. As of this writing, the damage assessment on the affected areas is still ongoing.
Source: National Disaster Risks Reduction and Management Council, Inquirer, PAGASA.
ONSLAUGHT
In the latest report from the National Disaster and Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC), a total of 16, 476 families or 60,817 individuals are affected by the super typhoon Karding in seven regions. Five individuals are confirmed dead during the onslaught of the typhoon and three individuals are still missing. Power outages are still experienced in 99 municipalities in Central Luzon, of which only 28% are being restored. With the immense damaging effects of the typhoon, 32 municipalities were declared under the State of Calamity.
Meanwhile, according to the provincial government of Bulacan, a total of 5,239 Bulakenyos have fled to their safety and taken shelter in various evacuation centers in the province since Sunday. Provincial Social Welfare and Development Office head Rowena Tiongson said a total of 117 evacuation centers sheltered 1,571 families, including 1,447 children and 231 senior citizens, all over the province.
In the report of the local government of Quezon, some 400 families were affected by the typhoon in Jomalig while in Patnanungan, more than 300 families from the town evacuated. In terms of damages, 70 houses were totally damaged while 72 were partially destroyed.
Sources: National Disaster Risks Reduction and Management Council, LGU Quezon Province, Southern Tagalog People’s Response Center
Emergency Response Efforts
– CDRC and its regional centers are actively monitoring the situation and will continue to issue updates once additional information is obtained from official sources.
– CDRC is also closely coordinating with its regional centers in affected areas to collect information on the situation and needs on the ground.
– On September 25, CDRC activated its Emergency Response Team for STY Karding, as well as the affected regions of its regional centers (STPRC and LCMCI).
– CDRC’s Regional Centers have started coordinating with their respective LGU partners, particularly with the Local DRRM Offices in the affected cities and provinces.
– Emergency Response Teams of the respective affected regional centers have been monitoring developments in the local situation and continue to send data from the ground.
– CDRC’s emergency response team is on standby for possible immediate deployment.
– CDRC coordinates mechanisms and fundraising efforts. CDRC has opened a “Call for Donation” for communities affected by the super typhoon Karding.
– CDRC and its regional center on the ground continue to monitor the situation and have begun issuing situation reports. Southern Tagalog People’s Response Center, Inc. conducted the initial Damage Needs and Capacity Assessment in the affected barangays in Quezon.
– CDRC’s assessment teams are on standby for possible deployment to conduct assessments and to deliver emergency relief.
Resources Available
– Standby emergency funds
– Prepositioned goods at the CDRC warehouse
– Monetary and in-kind donations
Coordination
Regional Centers
1. Lambak Cagayan Mission Center, Inc. (LCMCI)
2. Southern Tagalog People’s Response Center (STPRC)
3. Alay-Bayan Luson, Inc. (ABI)
4. Ilocos Center for Research, Empowerment, and Development, Inc. (ICRED)
5. Cordillera Disaster Response and Development Services, Inc. (CorDis-RDS)
6. Community Response for Enlightenment, Service and Transformation, Inc. (CREST)
7. Tarabang para sa Bicol, Inc. (TABI)
Partners
1. Diakonie Katastrophenhilfe
2. National Alliance for Filipino Concerns – USA
3. Foundation for Philippine Progress, Inc.
4. Mercy Relief
5. World Jewish Relief
6. German Doctors
Contacts
1. Cora Jazmines, Local Partnerships Department, 0928-182-4969, lpd@cdrc-phil.com
2. Dom Ybera, Deputy Executive Director, dybera@gmail.com