BACOLOD CITY, Negros Occidental, Philippines – As certain areas in the country is placed under Tropical Cyclone Wind Signal Number 4, preparations are also intensified to mitigate damage.
What happens when there is a TCWS Signal Number 4?
Under signal No. 4, winds of greater than 171 km/h up to 220 km/h may be expected in at least 12 hours.
There is already very heavy damage to high–risk structures, heavy damage to medium risk structures, moderate damage to low-risk structures.
There is also considerable damage to structures of light materials (up to 75% are totally and partially destroyed, as well as complete roof structure failures.
Many houses of medium-built materials are unroofed, some with collapsed walls; extensive damage to doors and windows. (READ: Typhoon Rolly continues to maintain its strength as it moves towards Bicol; NegOcc still under Blue Alert status)
A few houses of first-class materials are partially damaged. All signs/billboards are blown down. There is almost total damage to banana plantation. Most mango trees, ipil-ipil and similar types of large trees are downed or broken. Coconut plantation may suffer extensive damage.
Rice and corn plantation may suffer severe losses.
The situation is potentially very destructive to the community, so all travels and outdoor activities should be cancelled. There is evacuation to safer shelters should have been completed since it may be too late under this situation.
With PSWS #4, the locality is very likely to be hit directly by the eye of the typhoon. As the eye of the typhoon approaches, the weather will continuously worsen with the winds increasing to its strongest coming generally from the north.
Then a sudden improvement of the weather with light winds (a lull) will be experienced. This means that the eye of the typhoon is over the locality. This improved weather may last for one to two hours depending on the diameter of the eye and the speed of movement. As the eye moves out of the locality, the worst weather experienced before the lull will suddenly commence. This time the very strong winds will come generally from the south.
The disaster coordinating councils concerned and other disaster response organizations are now fully responding to emergencies and in full readiness to immediately respond to possible calamity.
What To Do
If the house is not strong enough to withstand the battering of strong winds people are advised to go to designated evacuation center or seek shelter in stronger houses. Stay in safe houses until after the disturbances has left the area. People should evacuate from low-lying area and riverbanks and stay away from coastal areas for possible flooding and storm surge.
All travel and outdoor activities should be cancelled. They should also watch out for the passage of the “Eye Wall and the “Eye” of the typhoon
