TACLOBAN CITY — About 20 people died while tens of millions of pesos worth of properties were destroyed due to weather disturbances that hit the region last year.
This was based on the report of the regional office of the Office of Civil Defense, which listed nine tropical depressions that hit the region in 2009.
These weather disturbances resulted in the death of 20 people and damaged properties and agriculture worth P40.5 million across the region, the OCD-8 report revealed.
And out of the nine tropical depressions that hit the region in 2009, it was “Auring” which caused so much damage in terms of lives lost.
“Auring,” which unleashed her fury last January 4, 2009 in the region, resulted to the death of 16 persons —10 in Northern Samar and six in Eastern Samar. It also resulted in the destruction of agricultural products worth P8.2 million and P2.5 million worth of various infrastructures, both in Eastern Samar province.
“Auring” had also resulted in the displacement of 29,770 families or 171,291 individuals in the two Samar provinces.
However, in terms of damages to properties, “Jolina” caused much destruction, the same OCD report revealed.
An estimated P18 million worth of infrastructures in Northern Samar were destroyed due to “Jolina” which hit said province last August 2, 2009, the OCD report added.
Aside from “Auring” and “Jolina,” Eastern Visayas was visited by “Bising” last February 13, “Crising” on April 30, “Dante” on May 3, “Feria on June 23, “Labuyo” on Sept.4, “Pepeng” on October 2 and “Urduja” which hit some parts of the region on Nov.24.
All these weather disturbances were not strong enough to cause much havoc in areas affected.
In sum, the nine weather disturbances that hit the region last year affected 43,523 families representing 241,032 individuals, the OCD-8 report added.
Eastern Visayas is considered a “typhoon belt” wherein tropical depressions or typhoons hit the region, said Anthony Sanchez of the Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) weather station based in Tacloban.
“That is why, it is normal for the region to be visited by several typhoons. Some are strong, some are weak,” Sanchez said.
He said that based on their forecast for the year, the country is projected to be hit by 19 weather disturbances and at least 12 of them are to hit Eastern Visayas.
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