MANILA, Philippines – Batanes is now under a state of calamity after Typhoon Julian (Krathon) wrought extensive damage in the province, Governor Marilou Cayco announced on Wednesday, October 2.
The latest report from the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council said 172 families were evacuated, while 1,463 homes were destroyed.
Batanes and parts of Babuyan Islands were placed under Signal No. 4 when the typhoon intensified early this week. Julian reached super typhoon status while moving away from extreme Northern Luzon and left the Philippine Area of Responsibility on Tuesday, October 1. It weakened into a typhoon outside PAR.
The typhoon caused landslides in parts of the national road going to southern municipalities in Batanes, deeming them unpassable.
More than 300,000 hectares of rice fields in Batanes, Ilocos Norte, and other northern provinces were estimated to be affected, according to a projection by the Philippine Rice Research Institute released on Tuesday.
The Ilocos Norte provincial government had also declared a state of calamity on Tuesday. More than 18,000 families were estimated to be affected in the province.
A total of 23 cities and municipalities have declared a state of calamity. Across the Ilocos Region, Cagayan Valley, and Cordillera Administrative Region, at least 801 families are currently in evacuation centers.
On Wednesday, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council reported at least one dead and eight injured in the aftermath of the typhoon. – Rappler.com
