Highlights
Tropical Storm Koppu steadily weakened to a low pressure area as it slowly moved away from the Luzon island.
Nearly half a million people have evacuated of which 112,800 people are in 512 evacuation centres.
The Government-led search and rescue, relief and debris clearing operations continue with national authorities augmenting the capacity of local authorities.
The Government asked the Philippines Humanitarian Country Team to provide targeted and limited support, which will be met with resources available in the country.
Situation Overview
Tropical Storm Koppu (known locally as Lando) steadily weakened to a low pressure area as it slowly moved northeast across Luzon Strait and away from the Luzon island, according to the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA). All public storm warning signals were lifted. PAGASA forecasts light to moderate rains over Ilocos Region (Region I), Cagayan Valley (Region II) and the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR) in northern Luzon.
Some 443,500 people (98,200 families) have evacuated across Regions I, II, III (Central Luzon) and CAR as of 21 October, according to the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC). Of these, 112,800 people (25,300 families) are in 512 evacuation centres; 120 are schools. The NDRRMC reported 26 confirmed deaths (5 girls, 2 boys, 6 women and 13 men) and 18 injured from the storm. These figures are expected to rise.
In the three days since landfall, the storm brought incessant and heavy to intense rains within its 650 km diameter triggering floods, flashfloods and landslides. Bagiuo City in the mountainous region of CAR recorded 775 mm of rainfall on 19 October, which is 170 per cent more than its average monthly rainfall for October of 454 mm. Initial reports indicate that flooding is most severe in the river basins of Central Luzon (Nueva Ecija and Pampanga provinces) and Cagayan Valley (Isabela and Cagayan provinces) with floodwaters reaching up to 4.3 m in some areas. Flooding will likely spread as rainwaters from the mountains continue to flow downstream. The storm’s impact in the rest of Cagayan Valley, Ilocos Region and CAR are characterized by landslides.
Information on damage to critical infrastructure is limited at this stage. The NDRRMC estimates PhP6.6 billion ($130 million) losses in agriculture and another PhP559 million ($12 million) in infrastructure across the affected regions.
All communication lines were restored, according to the NDRRMC. Power is out across the provinces of Aurora; Quirino and Nueva Vizcaya (Cagayan Valley); and Kalinga and Mountain Province (CAR).
A total of 140 road sections and 28 bridges are not passable due to flooding and landslides, an increase from 38 road sections and 18 bridges from the previous report. The majority of those stranded in seaports have now returned, bringing down the number of stranded passengers from about 6,200 to 260. However, 37 vessels, 47 motor boats and 13 rolling cargoes remain stranded by the rough sea.
Classes remained suspended in parts of Ilocos Region, CAR and Central Luzon on 21 October.