Nearly 100 families evacuated amid threat of super typhoon

MANILA – With Super Typhoon Karding now threatening a large portion of the country, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) on Sunday announced that 97 families or 336 persons have been preemptively evacuated in Regions 2 (Cagayan Valley) and 3 (Central Luzon) as of posting time.

During Sunday’s NDRRMC emergency operations center briefing, Undersecretary Jose Faustino Jr., Department of National Defense Officer-in-Charge, warned to expect rainfall similar to “Ondoy” in September 2009 and “Ulysses” in November 2020.

He assured the Armed Forces of the Philippines is on alert and prepared to respond, along with disaster response units in Polillo Island in Quezon, Aurora province, and other areas that might be affected by “Karding”.

Polillo Islands; extreme northern portion of Quezon (the northern and central portions of General Nakar, the northeastern portion of Infanta); extreme southern portion of Aurora (Dingalan); eastern portion of Bulacan (Doña Remedios Trinidad, Norzagaray); and extreme southeastern portion of Nueva Ecija (the southeastern portion of General Tinio) are under Tropical Cyclone Wind Signal No. 5 as of 2 p.m.

The center of the eye of the super typhoon was estimated at 115 kilometers (km) east northeast of Infanta, Quezon or 76 km east of Polillo Islands, with maximum sustained winds of 195 km/hour near the center and gustiness of up to 240 km/hour.

“We should come out of this with flying colors and prove that NDRRMC can manage,” Faustino said.

“Karding” will likely make landfall in the vicinity of the northern portion of Quezon or the southern portion of Aurora tonight.

The possibility of an earlier (afternoon) landfall or close approach in the vicinity of Polillo Islands is not ruled out.