Typhoon Juan hit Northern Luzon on October 18, 2010 and a public storm warning signal # 3 was declared in all Ilocos provinces. On midnight of October 19 as Typhoon Juan exited on the coastal areas of La Union and Ilocos Sur, storm surges destroyed homes, crops and livelihood and thousands evacuated in coastal municipalities. Crops and homes in agricultural areas were also damaged because of the strong winds.

According to the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (PDRRMC) of La Union, 17 towns and 107 barangays were heavily affected with a total of 10, 509 individuals comprising 2, 597 families.

In a Damage, Needs and Capacities Assessment conducted in four towns of Ilocos Sur, around 635 families or 1635 individuals were affected.

As typhoon Juan remains stationary in the seas of Northern Luzon, storm surges continue to affect coastal areas in Ilocos. PAGASA estimates that Typhoon Juan will continue to hover on the seas of Northern Luzon until Saturday (October 23). It also said that the typhoon will continue to dump rains over the Ilocos provinces and its residents should remain on alert against possible storm surges.

According to an Associated Press report, Juan carried “ferocious winds and heavy rainfall” and is the most powerful typhoon to threaten the country in four years and is the strongest Pacific storm to hit a country this year.

CASUALTIES

Typhoon Juan left 2 dead in Ilocos Sur and La Union and several others injured. 4 were injured in La Union and Ilocos Sur including a 6-year old child who was hit by an uprooted tree in Barangay Casilagan, Sta. Cruz, Ilocos Sur.

AGRICULTURE

According to Department of Agriculture (DA) Region 1, more than 103, 400 corn and rice lands were damaged worth P1. 46 billion wherein 8, 900 hectares are rice lands with damages worth P128 million.

Marlyn Manipon, DA’s Planning Officer said that an estimate of 9.8 metric tons of rice should have been harvested from said damaged rice lands if it would not have been hit by Typhoon Juan.

It is approximated that Ilocos lost 12% of its rice production for this planting season. Damages to rice and vegetable crops in second district of Ilocos Sur were reported. In Sta. Cruz alone, around 18.15 hectares of rice crops were totally damaged. Palay crops in several barangays in Aringay have been reportedly damaged as salt water reached agricultural lands near coastal areas.

Also, according to the Local Government Unit of Candon City, a total of 52 hectares of rice crops have been totally damaged.

COASTAL AND FISHERIES

Thousands evacuated from coastal areas of Ilocos Sur and La Union with their source of livelihood and houses heavily damaged.

100 houses in Brgy. Catbangen, San Fernando City, La Union were totally damaged and 460 houses were partially damaged. In Bauang, a “State of Calamity” has been declared as it is the hardest hit municipality in the province.

According to Fisheries Organization President Samuel Joso, hundreds of fishermen in 6 coastal barangays of Candon City suffered fish kill as salt water reached fishcages. Storm surges also destroyed 160 fishcages in two barangays of Candon City , Patpata Primero and Patpata Segundo. 2.9 M worth fishcages were likewise damaged in the barangays of Paypayad, Caterman, Tamurong and Darapidad. Residents in these coastal areas are worried because of the destruction of their source of livelihood.

EVACUATIONS

In Ilocos Sur, 6341 individuals or 1339 families evacuated from Caoayan, Magsingal, Sto. Domingo, San Vicente, Sta. Catalina, Sta. Cruz, Santa, Sta. Maria, Sta. Cruz and Candon City. The evacuations were pre-emptive in most towns but in Santa, where its coastal areas have been experiencing storm surges since October 19, many of the residents of Pasungol, are either still in evacuation centers or with their relatives in other barangays.

On the other hand, an estimated 10,000 individuals evacuated in La Union and an approximate of 5,000 individuals are still in different evacuation centers as the province is still experiencing heavy rains and strong winds. On October 18, 300 families or 1,000 individuals in Bangar, La Union evacuated to different evacuation centers because of the sudden rise of water in the municipal river.

Residents from Barangay Alaska in Aringay town, Barangay Santiago Norte in Caba town and Barangay Lingsat in San Fernando City also abandoned their homes after being threatened by storm surges on October 20. Brgy. Catbangen, San Fernando City residents also left their homes before a 10-foot tidal wave hit their barangay.

Report from: ICRED