Typhoon Rosita, internationally known as “Yutu” continues to batter parts of Northern Luzon, an area which has suffered extensive damage from typhoons and monsoon rains in the previous months.
The 18th tropical cyclone to hit the Philippines in 2018 made landfall at 4 a.m. on Tuesday, hitting coastal towns in Isabela.
Damage has been reported in the towns of Dinapigue and Santiago, with power lines cut and roofs torn off establishments and houses.
Governor Faustino Dy in a radio interview with DZMM said that there were already 11,600 evacuees in 92 centers as early as 6 a.m.
Rosita at 1 p.m on Tuesday was reportedly located in the vicinity of Sablan, Benguet with maximum sustained winds of 140 kilometers per hour near the center and gustiness of up to 230 kilometers per hour, according to updates from the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration.
Evacuations have been ordered in Benguet as well as in La Union, where it is believed to be headed on Tuesday afternoon.
Signal No. 3 is still raised in the following provinces:
- Ifugao
- Nueva Vizcaya
- Benguet
- Mountain Province
- Ilocos Sur
- Pangasinan
- La Union
Signal No. 2 meanwhile is raised in parts of Northern and Central Luzon:
- Cagayan
- Isabela
- Quirino
- Aurora
- Ilocos Norte
- Apayao
- Abra
- Kalinga
- Nueva Ecija
- Tarlac
- Zambales
- Pampanga
Signal No. 1 is still raised in cities in Metro Manila, most of which suspended government work and classes ahead of Rosita’s expected onslaught:
- Babuyan Group of Islands
- Bulacan
- Northern Quezon including Polillo Island
- Bataan
- Rizal
- Metro Manila
- Cavite
- Laguna
- Batangas
PAGASA has warned that heavy rains could continue to affect Metro Manila, Rizal, Bulacan, Pampanga, Tarlac, Nueva Ecija and Zambales on Tuesday.
Rosita is expected to move to 255 km west of Sinait, Ilocos Sur on Wednesday morning and out of the Philippine Area of Responsibility by Thursday morning.
Residents of the areas affected by Rosita have shared scenes of the damage caused to both public and private property.
Rosita’s aftermath. 🍃🌬🌧 #RositaPH #SantiagoCity #Isabela pic.twitter.com/1QrvXuHLC4
— H (@hanzelcalangan) October 30, 2018
#Personnel conducted traffic assistance along Marcos Highway fronting Goldrich Construction Poblacion, Tuba, Benguet wherein trucks fail to ascend due to the slippery of the road caused by the heavy rains brought by the Super typhoon Rosita. @PNPBenguet @PRO_Cordillera pic.twitter.com/I46T6gvuQZ
— Tuba MPS (@PNPTuba) October 30, 2018
Typhoon Rosita hit Isabela so bad. Thank You Lord for keeping us safe. #RositaPH #Isabela pic.twitter.com/QeUxFGWnAc
— Promdi Diaries (@heyitschaddy) October 30, 2018
Northern Luzon hit again
Typhoon Ompong, internationally known as “Mangkhut” in September 2018 just less than a month before Rosita hit the typhoon-prone Philippines saw extensive damage done to parts of Northern Luzon, including Benguet, Mountain Province, Ilocos Norte and Nueva Ecija.
Those same provinces are among those expected to feel the onslaught of Rosita as it passes through the Philippines.
The Philippines lost a total of 250,730 tons of paddy rice following the onslaught of Ompong in the northern part of Luzon, one of the biggest producers of agricultural products. Its damage to rice crop has been estimated at worth P8.97 billion.
The damage caused by Ompong has been linked to surging inflation in the same month.
The country’s economic managers have argued that damage from monsoon rains during the rainy season may have led to supply lines being caught in the country’s weather-battered agricultural regions, leading to the food shortage experienced in recent months.
