EVEN before Super Typhoon Pepito hit land, powerful storm surges hit the provinces of Albay, Catanduanes, Camarines Sur and Camarines Norte on Saturday morning.
The water level in the coastal towns in Albay, including in Legazpi City, experienced unusual elevations at 6 a.m.
Legazpi City Boulevard was also inundated by the surge driven by strong winds.
In Tiwi town, the seawater also reached the houses in Lourdes village.
The state-run weather agency, meanwhile, issued a red storm surge warning in Catanduanes at 8 a.m.
“Strong waves that could reach 3 meters or more are expected on the coasts. At the same time, it is possible to experience widespread and severe flooding, especially in households near rivers,” the advisory from the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) said.
“All residents are strongly reminded to immediately evacuate to higher and safer places to avoid any danger caused by the approaching typhoon. Please be careful and follow the notice of your local authorities.”
Around 255,000 people have fled their homes ahead of Super Typhoon Pepito, which was expected to make landfall later Saturday or early Sunday, becoming the sixth major storm to pummel the nation in the past month.
With wind gusts of up to 230 kilometers per hour, Pepito was on track to slam into the sparsely populated island province of Catanduanes as a super typhoon or “near peak intensity,” the weather service warned.
Up to 14-meter high seas were expected around Catanduanes, while “significant to severe impacts from typhoon-force winds are possible” in the hardest hit areas, along with a “high risk of life-threatening storm surges” exceeding 3 meters, the forecaster said.
At least 163 people died in the five storms that pounded the Philippines in recent weeks, which also left thousands homeless and wiped out crops and livestock.
The government urged people Saturday to heed warnings to flee to safety.
“If preemptive evacuation is required, let us do so and not wait for the hour of peril before evacuating or seeking help, because if we did that, we would be putting in danger not only our lives but also those of our rescuers,” Interior Undersecretary Marlo Iringan said.
In Albay province, Legazpi City grocer Myrna Perea was sheltering with her fruit vendor husband and their three children in a school classroom with nine other families after they were ordered to leave their shanty.
Conditions were hot and cramped — the family spent Friday night sleeping together on a mat under the classroom’s single ceiling fan — but Perea said it was better to be safe.
“I think our house will be wrecked when we get back because it’s made of light materials — just two gusts are required to knock it down,” Perea, 44, said. “That’s why we evacuated. Even if the house is destroyed, the important thing is we do not lose a family member.”
Scientists have warned climate change is increasing the intensity of storms, leading to heavier rains, flash floods and stronger gusts.
About 20 big storms and typhoons hit the Philippines or its surrounding waters each year, killing scores of people, but it is rare for multiple such weather events to take place in a small window.
Forced evacuations
Evacuation centers were filling up on Catanduanes island in the typhoon-prone Bicol Region, with the state weather forecaster warning Saturday of “widespread incidents of severe flooding and landslides.”
More than 400 people were squeezed into the provincial government building in the capital Virac, with new arrivals being sent to a gymnasium, provincial disaster officer Roberto Monterola said.
Monterola said he had dispatched soldiers to force about 100 households in two coastal villages near Virac to move inland due to fears storm surges could swamp their homes.
“Regardless of the exact landfall point, heavy rainfall, severe winds, and storm surges may occur in areas outside the predicted landfall zone,” the forecaster said.
The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) intensified calls for immediate evacuation in high-risk areas as Pepito headed toward landfall over the weekend.
In a memorandum, Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla directed local government units (LGUs) across Luzon and the Visayas to strictly enforce preemptive evacuations in communities at risk of flooding, landslides, and storm surges.
“LGUs must prioritize the safety of residents, especially vulnerable groups such as children, the elderly, pregnant women, and persons with disabilities,” Remulla said. He also emphasized the need for evacuation centers to meet safety standards and be equipped with essential sanitation and medical facilities.
With Pepito forecast to bring heavy rainfall, the DILG cautioned that the storm could lead to significant water level increases in major dams, potentially triggering water release operations that may affect downstream communities.
Local authorities have been urged to coordinate relief efforts with the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) and regional disaster risk reduction councils.
The threat of life-threatening storm surges is also a major concern as Pepito nears. Remulla called on residents of low-lying and coastal areas in 23 provinces, including Metro Manila, to prepare for storm surges that could reach up to 5 to 7 meters in height. Areas most at risk include provinces along the western and eastern coastlines, from Ilocos Norte down to Samar and several provinces in Bicol.
“This is no joke. Evacuate now!” Remulla said, emphasizing the urgency of the situation. He warned that some coastal areas may experience inundation from rising sea levels and high waves that could surpass the height of typical homes.
More than 40,000 families have already been evacuated as a precautionary measure, with authorities urging residents in the typhoon’s path to remain vigilant and heed evacuation orders.
According to the Office of Civil Defense (OCD), a total of 43,623 families — equivalent to 134,653 individuals — have been relocated to safer areas as of 7 a.m. on Saturday.
“Our primary goal is to ensure the safety of every citizen,” said Undersecretary Ariel Nepomuceno, OCD administrator. “We’ve deployed emergency assets, including family food packs, hygiene kits, and a total of 36,694 uniformed personnel who are on standby for search, rescue, and relief operations.”
‘Back to square one’
In Northern Samar province, disaster officer Rei Josiah Echano lamented that damage caused by typhoons was the root cause of poverty in the region.
“Whenever there’s a typhoon like this, it brings us back to the medieval era; we go [back] to square one,” Echano said as the province prepared for the onslaught of Pepito.
All vessels — from fishing boats to oil tankers — have been ordered to stay in port or return to shore.
The volcanology agency also warned heavy rain dumped by Pepito could trigger flows of volcanic sediment, or lahars, from three volcanos, including Taal, south of Manila.
Pepito will hit the Philippines late in the typhoon season — most cyclones develop between July and October.
Earlier this month, four storms were clustered simultaneously in the Pacific basin, which the Japan Meteorological Agency said on Saturday was the first time such an occurrence had been observed in November since its records began in 1951.
Videos surfaced on social media showing big waves slamming the shore and seawater reaching Legazpi Boulevard.
“The Storm Surge Warning is now up in the province of Albay, and it is possible that the wave height will increase to 2.1-3 meters,” Pagasa said.
Pagasa also warned there was a high risk of storm surges within the next 48 hours.
“There is a possibility of life-threatening inundation from rising seawater along with high waves in the low-lying coastal communities in some municipalities in the provinces,” the weather bureau said.
Pagasa said the storm surge could go up to 3 meters in the provinces of Catanduanes, Camarines Sur, Camarines Norte, and Quezon; 2.1 to 3 meters in the provinces of Albay, Camarines Sur, Masbate, Sorsogon, including Isabela, La Union, Pangasinan, Aurora, Batangas, Quezon, Marinduque, Biliran, Eastern Samar, Leyte, Northern Samar, and Western Samar; and 1 to 2 meters in Ilocal Norte, Ilocos Sur, La Union, Bataan, Bulacan, Pampanga, Zambales, Metro Maila, Cavite, Batangas and Sorsogon.
Residents living in the low-lying coastal communities are still advised to stay away from the coast or beach, cancel all marine activities and follow the latest updates from DOST-Pagasa.
The public and the disaster risk reduction and management offices concerned are advised to take appropriate actions and precautionary measures.
Storm Signal No. 5 was raised over Catanduanes and northeastern Camarines Sur.
Signal No. 3 is in effect over parts of the Bicol Region and Samar Island.
Wind Signal No. 5 is the highest wind warning that will be raised during Pepito’s passage.
At 10 a.m. Saturday, the super typhoon was located 250 km east of Juban, Sorsogon, packing winds of 185 kph with gusts up to 230 kph. It is moving west-northwestward at 25 kph.
Also on Saturday, based on the recommendation of the OCD, the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) discouraged land travel by buses and trucks to Central Luzon, the National Capital Region, and Calabarzon (Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal and Quezon).
Land travel to Bicol has already been suspended for the prevention of the buildup of stranded passengers and vehicles along Maharlika Highway and other major roads in the areas that will be affected by the storm.
Meanwhile, Baguio City Mayor Benjamin Magalong urged residents to prepare for potential hazards of Pepito, which was expected to directly impact the Summer Capital.
Based on current forecasts, the city is almost on the direct path of howler and if the scenario does not change, it will be bringing heavy to intense rain starting 4 p.m. Sunday until 7 a.m. Monday.
“We have to be prepared especially since the brunt will hit us at night time,” the mayor said.
