The timing could not have been more eerie— and the fear was back.
Two years to the day after Tropical Storm “Ondoy” drowned hundreds in a massive flood in Metro Manila, a fiercer storm—Typhoon “Pedring”— on Monday barreled its way into Luzon and pummeled the country’s eastern coast with winds of 140 kilometers per hour near the center.
Authorities ordered more than 100,000 people to flee their homes, shut down schools, halted all ferry and fishing boat operations in several provinces, and canceled 39 domestic flights.
Weathermen warned of floods and possible landslides.
Pedring, with winds gusting up to 170 kph, was expected to make landfall in Casiguran, Aurora province, early Tuesday, according to the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa).
If there were no changes in its track, Pedring might also hit Central Luzon, the country’s agricultural basket, and sideswipe densely populated Metro Manila, with its 14 million people.
The Department of Education (DepEd) suspended classes in all public and private kindergarten, elementary and high schools in Metro Manila at noon Monday.
In an announcement Monday night, the DepEd said classes at those levels would remain suspended Tuesday in Metro Manila, as well as in Antipolo City and Quirino, Nueva Vizcaya and Cagayan provinces.
Meanwhile, Pagasa administrator Nathaniel Servando made no recommendations to suspend classes in the tertiary level.
“We leave it to the discretion of the universities if they will suspend classes in college,” he said.
2 years ago
It was also on September 26 two years ago when Ondoy pounded Metro Manila and nearby provinces, triggering the worst flooding the metropolis had seen in nearly 40 years and leaving 464 people dead.
On Monday, as rain again pelted Metro Manila, people at a Mass in Marikina City—where houses were submerged during the Ondoy nightmare—began to worry, including former Isabela Governor Grace Padaca, a guest of the city.
“When it began to rain, I said, ‘Okay, we are being reminded of Ondoy.’ When it began to pound harder, I said, ‘God, we got the message,’” Padaca told the Inquirer. She said the people of Marikina had had enough of typhoons.
The message was clear to Fr. Edwin Gariguez, executive director of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) national secretariat for social action.
“The coincidence is a reminder for us not to be complacent, but to be always vigilant in preparing for any calamity,” Gariguez said. He stressed the need “to be proactive in protecting the environment, in saving our remaining forest to prevent humanly induced disasters.”
16th cyclone
As of 6 p.m Monday, no casualties have been reported in Pedring’s wake.
Pedring (international name: Nesat) had intensified further hurtling northwest at 17 kph, or 2 kph slower than its previous speed.
As of 10 p.m., it was spotted170 km east southeast of Casiguran.
The 16th tropical cyclone to enter the Philippine area of responsibility this year is expected to hit northern and Central Luzon before exiting on Wednesday night through La Union province, Servando said.
President Benigno Aquino III, now visiting Japan, was being updated on the situation, Malacañang said.
Storm signals
In its 11p.m. bulletin, Pagasa raised Storm Signal No. 3 over Aurora, Isabela, Cagayan, Kalinga, Mt. Province, Ifugao, Nueva Vizcaya and Quirino.
Signal No. 2 was up over Metro Manila and the provinces of Ilocos Norte, Ilocas Sur, Abra, Apayao, La Union, Benguet, Pangasinan, Zambales, Tarlac, Pampanga, Bulacan, Rizal, Quezon including Polillo Island, Bataan, Camarines Norte, Camarines Sur and Catanduanes.
Signal No. 1 was hoisted over Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Marinduque, Albay, Sorsogon, Burias and Lubang Islands, Calayan and the Babuyan Group of Islands.
Pagasa said Signal No. 1 was dropped in Northern Samar but urged resident to still be prepared because bad weather was expected to continue throughout the Visayas due to the monsoon.
Science Undersecretary Graciano Yumul Jr. said the typhoon would strengthen as it approached land because of the warm sea surface temperature.
“The sea surface temperature is 28 degrees Centigrade. That is warm (and) conducive to intensification,” he said.
Ondoy’s path
Servando said Pedring could build up its strength but so far there were no indications it would become a supertyphoon.
Pagasa said a high-pressure ridge on the northwest of Luzon had been preventing Pedring from inching north.
“By raising Signal No. 3, we expect heavy damage to agriculture,” Servando said. “Large trees would also fall and houses and electrical posts would be damaged.”
Weather officials said Pedring was following almost the same path as Ondoy, noting that typhoons that form during this month usually move across north and Central Luzon.
Unlike Ondoy, however, Pedring was stronger and faster but had less moisture.
Ondoy, with a strength of 85 kph, directly struck Central Luzon and affected the northern part of Metro Manila.
Ondoy’s recorded rainfall was 56 millimeters per hour compared to Pedring’s, which was 15-25 mm/hr.
Ondoy, which made landfall in Quezon, was one of the most destructive typhoons to hit the Philippines in recent years.
Like Pedring, Ondoy tracked westward, hitting a metropolis that was unprepared for massive rains. It dumped a record rainfall on Metro Manila, flooding almost 80 percent of the city and displacing nearly half a million Filipinos.
22,500 families
Officials on Monday ordered the evacuation of 22,500 families, representing 111,930 people, in Bicol, which lay close to Pedring’s path and which had been lashed by rains since Sunday.
Six fishermen in Camarines Sur and three others in Masbate who were earlier reported missing at sea were later rescued by the Philippine Coast Guard.
A landslide isolated three towns in Catanduanes and the rains disrupted the power supply in the region, causing blackouts mainly in Albay, including Legazpi City.
As Pedring hovered near Bicol, the Regional Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (RDRRMC) directed its local councils to carry out preemptive measures.
Work suspended
The Office of Civil Defense regional director, Raffy Alejandro, warned that Pedring would bring heavy rains that could trigger flooding, mudflows and landslides in low-lying and mountainous areas in the region.
In Albay, the disaster council had been supplying food at evacuation camps in the towns of Oas, Polangui and Libon since Sunday.
Governor Joey Salceda suspended work in national and local government offices, except those engaged in emergency work.
DOTC warns
At least 39 domestic flights were canceled, including those of Cebu Pacific, Air Philippines, Zest Air and Philippine Airlines, according to the Manila International Airport Authority.
The Department of Transportation and Communications ordered cargo and passenger ships in several area to stay in port.
Transportation Undersecretary Rafael Santos said shipping companies that would try and push their luck would have their franchises canceled on the spot.
Dangerous billboards
The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) sought court permission to roll down billboard tarpaulins across the capital with the approach of Pedring.
In September, the Outdoor Advertisers Association of the Philippines questioned the legality of the MMDA’s drive against billboards and asked a Makati City court to stop the agency from taking down the structures.
“I find it necessary to file the motion to prevent any possible accident or damage that may be brought upon lives and property by falling billboards along the major thoroughfares,” said MMDA Chairman Francis Tolentino.
Magat Dam
Worried about heavy rains, officials running the Magat Dam in Ramon town in Isabela on Monday ordered the release of water through two spillway gates.
Saturnino Tenedor, dam instrumentation chief, said the reservoir’s water level had reached 191.8 meters above sea level (masl) as of Monday morning, 1.2 masl from its spilling level.
The gates were opened at a height of three meters.
Governor Faustino Dy III said provincial officials and disaster response teams had started preparing rubber boats, life jackets, chainsaws, battery-operated lights and ropes, evacuations centers and relief goods.
In the Cordillera, the Department of Public Works and Highways sent out advance teams to monitor landslide-prone roads in Benguet province, where farms supplying Metro Manila with vegetables are located.
In Baguio City, road crews rushed the repavement of national roads, which was delayed by a previous storm. With reports from Matikas Santos of INQUIRER.net; Mar Arguelles, Fernan Gianan, Delfin Mallari Jr., Jonas Cabiles Soltes, Shiena M. Barrameda and Juan Escandor Jr., Inquirer Southern Luzon; Villamor Visaya Jr. and Vincent Cabreza, Inquirer Northern Luzon; Tonette Orejas, Inquirer Central Luzon; and Niña Calleja, Jocelyn R. Uy, TJ Burgonio, Paolo G. Montecillo, Jerry E. Esplanada and Miko Morelos in Manila
First posted 12:18 am | Tuesday, September 27th, 2011
Voraussichtliche Zugbahn des Taifuns 
 Taifun „Nesat“, der 17. benannte Wirbelsturm und achte Taifun der pazifischen Taifunsaison, ist mit 150 Stundenkilometern (gemittelter Wert) auf den Osten Luzons, der nördlichen Hauptinsel der Philippinen getroffen. In der Provinz Albay wurden am Montag im Zuge des für Dienstag in der Region erwarteten Taifuns etwa 50 000 Menschen in Sicherheit gebracht, weitere 60 000 sollten ebenfalls ihre Häuser verlassen. „Die Evakuierungen sind eine Vorsichtsmaßnahme, weil die Leute in Regionen mit Überschwemmungs- und Erdrutschgefahr wohnen“, sagte der Gouverneur von Albay, Joey Salceda.

In der 325 Kilometer südöstlich der Hauptstadt Manila gelegenen Provinz wurden auch Schulen geschlossen und Boote in die Häfen zurückbeordert. Sechs Fischer galten am Montagabend als vermisst. Sie waren am Sonntag in See gestochen. 34 Inlandsflüge wurden gestrichen. In mehreren Provinzen wurden Schulen geschlossen und der Fährverkehr eingestellt. Rund drei Dutzend Inlandsflüge wurden am Montag (26.September) gestrichen. Die Behörden gingen davon aus, dass der Landfall des Taifuns mit andauernden Windgeschwindigkeiten von 140 Kilometern pro Stunden und Böen von 170 Kilometern pro Stunden bei Casiguran in der Provinz Aurora erfolgt.

„Nesat“ am 25. September 2011 

Durchschnittlich treffen jährlich sechs bis sieben Taifune auf die Philippinen. Ende August 2011 hatte Taifun Nanmadol den äußersten Norden Luzons gestreift und dabei erheblichen Schaden angerichtet, etwa 35 Menschen kamen damals ums Leben. Mindestens 70 Menschen starben bei zwei weiteren Tropenstürmen im Juli. Besonders schlimme Auswirkungen hatte jedoch eine Abfolge von mehreren tropischen Wirbelstürmen im September und Oktober 2009. Der folgenschwerste davon, Taifun „Ketsana“, war auf den Tag genau vor zwei Jahren auf Luzon getroffen und hatte im Großraum Luzon zum Ertrinken von 464 Personen geführt. An dieses Ereignis erinnerte die damalige Gouverneurin der Provinz Isabela bei einem Gottesdienst zum Gedenken der damals Gestorbenen. „Als es anfing zu regnen, sagte ich, ‚okay, wir werden an Onday erinnert.‘ Als es heftiger schüttete, rief ich ‚Herr, wir haben verstanden‘“, sagte Padaca der philippinischen Zeitung „Inquirer“.

Die Behörden haben Taifunwarnungen für die den Großraum Manila und die Provinzen Ilocos Norte, Ilocas Sur, Abra, Apayao, La Union, Benguet, Pangasinan, Zambales, Tarlac, Pampanga, Bulacan, Rizal, Quezon, Bataan, Camarines Norte, Camarines Sur und Catanduanes ausgelöst. Wenn „Pedring“, wie der Name des Taifuns auf den Philippinen lautet, Luzon überquert hat, setzt er seinen Weg über das südchinesische Meer fort und wird voraussichtlich auf die Insel Hainan treffen, so das Joint Typhoon Warning Center der US-Navy.