TS Gorio over Eastern Visayas, Bicol as of 10:38 p.m. of June 28. PAGASA sateliite image of TS Gorio as of 10:38 p.m. of June 28 shows the storm spinning over Eastern Visayas and Bicol. PAGASA
Tropical Storm Gorio (international code name Rumbia) made landfall over Eastern Samar province at 8:00 a.m. Saturday, state weather forecasters said.
In a post on its Twitter account, PAGASA said Gorio hit Hernani town in Eastern Samar.
Hernani is 56 kilometers south of Borongan, the provincial capital of Eastern Samar.
According to the website of the municipality of Hernani, the area is a coastal town and fishing is the second biggest source of income for the 7,900 inhabitants.
For Hernani residents who may be affected by the storm, the website lists the following contact numbers:
- For ambulance assitance, Jovito Campo: 09294469476
- For police assistance: Rolando Nier America, Chief Of Police: 09294469478
Storm signal warning
PAGASA on Friday put five provinces in Visayas and Mindanao under Public Storm Warning Signal No. 1 after Low Pressure Area near Surigao City developed into a tropical cyclone a day before.
“Gorio,” the seventh cyclone to hit the Philippines this year, is expected to hit Northern, Western, and Eastern Samar as well as Dinagat and Siargao Islands in Mindanao, which were put under the lowest storm signal level.
On Saturday, PAGASA said light to moderate rains are expected over Metro Manila and nearby provinces.
At least 2,545 people in Bicol and Visayas were stranded Saturday morning due to bad weather conditions brought by Tropical Storm Gorio (Rumbia), the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) said.
In its 6:00 a.m. report, the NDRRMC said the Coast Guard in Bicol canceled trips bound for Samar as early as Friday noon.
The NDRRMC also said all ferry terminals in Eastern Samar, Western Samar and Northern Samar were “suspended as of 6:00 a.m. (Friday).”
Of the 2,545 stranded, 1,120 were in Matnog, 1,271 in Looc, and 154 in Dapdap.
Stranded as well were 102 trucks, 42 vehicles, 53 buses, and five roll-on roll-off vessels.
Office of Civil Defense Eastern Visayas head Rey Gozon called for preemptive evacuation in areas to be hit by Gorio, including Leyte and Biliran.
“Huwag na natin hintayin tumaas ang ulan bago magkaroon ng preemptive evacuation,” he said in an interview on dzBB radio.
Blue alert
The NDRRMC also said it had been on blue alert since 5 p.m. Friday.
It said the Navy in Bicol is on standby and is monitoring the situation, while the Air Force in Eastern Visayas is on standby for possible deployment.
For its part, the Coast Guard in Tacloban and Catbalogan is continuously alerting and advising fishermen and small seacraft not to venture out to sea.
– VVP, GMA News
