Northern Luzon provinces are on high alert as typhoon “Marce” approaches, marking the fourth consecutive storm to hit the region in recent weeks.
In the town of Pamplona, Cagayan, the local Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office has readied rubber boats, preparing for the worst as floodwaters could rise suddenly in the storm’s wake.
The local police have been mobilized, standing vigilant to safeguard the municipality and ensure that all emergency measures are in place.
In Isabela, Magat Dam released water at 8 a.m. on Tuesday as a precautionary measure. Gate No. 4 discharged 133 cubic meters per second (cms) to mitigate the risk of flooding. The water level currently at 183.88 meters was still far from the normal high of 193 meters.
Local authorities remain cautious, aware the rainfall from the storm could push levels to dangerous depths.
A liquor ban was imposed across multiple towns, including Maconacon, San Pablo, Palanan, Dinapigue, Santa Maria, Cabagan, Tumauini, Santo Tomas, Divilacan, and San Mariano and Ilagan City, all of which are under Signal No. 1.
Per Ordinance No. 2020-13-1, violators caught drinking in public face a fine of P2,000, while businesses selling alcohol will incur a heftier penalty of P4,000.
In Batanes, Gov. Marilou Cayco convened the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council for a preemptive disaster risk assessment, fully aware of the devastation typhoon “Leon” caused.
The island is still reeling from the destruction, including the collapse of the historic Santa Maria de Mayan Church in Itbayat and widespread landslides that paralyzed much of the area.
According to the 5 p.m. Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration update, typhoon “Marce” was located 480 kilometers east of Echague, Isabela, and is packing sustained winds of 130 kilometers per hour, with gusts up to 160 kph.
Moving northwest at 25 kilometers per hour, “Marce” is forecast to pass close to or make landfall in the Babuyan Islands or the northern portion of Cagayan by Thursday afternoon or evening.
Authorities are bracing for the typhoon to intensify before landfall, bringing with it the potential for widespread destruction.
Signal No. 1 has been raised in the provinces of Batanes, Cagayan (including the Babuyan Islands), Isabela, Apayao, Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, Abra, Kalinga, Mountain Province, Ifugao, the northern part of Benguet, Nueva Vizcaya and northern Aurora.