‘Kristine’ leaves 20 dead in Bicol, causes storm surge

Metro Manila, Philippines — The eye of Severe Tropical Storm Kristine is outside the land mass but it left significant damage to a number of provinces.

The Bicol Region suffered at least 20 deaths based on police data on Thursday, Oct. 24, while nine were injured and four others were missing.

People have called for rescue as floods rose as high as a two-level house.

The police have listed nearly 54,900 families who have evacuated their homes.

Meanwhile, the Office of Civil Defense, which tallies field reports, has a lower death toll at 10 people, two injured, and nine missing across the country.

Some coastal towns in the northwestern province of Pangasinan experienced storm surges. The Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (DRMMO) said the abnormal rise in sea level began on Oct. 23, around 8 or 9 p.m. Around 600 families have been affected.

“Ina-advise natin ‘yung mga coastal municipalities pa rin to be on alert kasi ine-expect nga ‘yung 200 millimeters of heavy to torrential rains. So, may chance na tumaas pa siya,” the province’s DRRMO Emergency Operations Center Director Pia Flores told NewsWatch Plus.

[Translation: We are advising coastal municipalities to still be on alert because we expect 200 millimeters of heavy to torrential rains. There is a chance for the water to further rise.]

“Kristine” hit land in Divilacan, Isabela on Thursday, 12:30 a.m.

Isabela DRRM officer Watu Foronda said the landfall had minimal impact.

“The effects of Kristine [are] not as bad as what we have prepared for, which is good,” Foronda said.

“Maaaring binasag ni Sierra Madre itong ulan tsaka hangin nitong si Kristine,” he added. “Nakita natin ‘yung nangyari sa Bicol. Sa palagay ko, binuhos lahat ni Kristine doon at saka sa kanyang mga dinaanan bago siya makarating ng Isabela.”

[Translation: Sierra Madre may have weakened the rains and winds of Kristine. We saw what happened in Bicol. I think Kristine poured all its rains there and in the areas it passed through en route to Isabela.]

About 10,000 individuals preemptively evacuated in preparation for the landfall.

Kristine did not cause floods in communities, Foronda said, but left some rice fields inundated.

A rice field in Ifugao was partially damaged too, its DRRMO said, noting that farmers are the most affected sector in the province.

“Baka mamaya o kaya bukas, madadagdagan ito. Pero hopefully, wala sana,” Ifugao DRRM Officer Arnold Bacnog said.

[Translation: Probably later or tomorrow, the number of damaged rice fields will increase. Hopefully, not.]

“Kristine” is expected to exit the Philippine Area of Responsibility on Friday afternoon.