The tropical storm known as Hagupit (Ruby), which reached Super Typhoon status at its peak strength, weakened significantly as it passed over Metro Manila late yesterday. Although significant rainfall was reported as the storm approached the capital city, precipitation and winds died down and it has been downgraded to a Tropical Depression. Residents who were evacuated from low-lying areas were allowed to return to their homes.
Children International’s Mobile Monitoring Teams in Manila and Quezon City report that the storm signal alert has been removed in their areas as of midday today. We have received no reports of significant flooding, disruption of utilities or damage to homes or CI community centers. As a precaution, the government suspended public school classes on Tuesday.
Meanwhile, in the hard-hit Bicol region, where our Tabaco and Legazpi agencies serve 30,000 sponsored children and youth, evacuees have returned to their homes. Clean-up and recovery efforts are underway. Mobile Monitoring Teams there report that all main roads have been cleared, nearly all electricity and water supplies have been restored and classes have resumed.
Residents along the coast of Legazpi are digging several feet of black sand out of their homes.
Destructive winds and 15-foot storm surges left a wake of debris and damage. Coastal communities like this were hardest hit.
Our own staff and volunteers continue their ongoing assessments of damage to sponsored families’ homes. Their most recent reports state that nearly 1,500 families in Legazpi and almost 3,800 families in Tabaco were impacted by the storm. However, accessing and evaluating damage in some of the more remote island communities is still pending.
All Children International agencies in the Philippines have resumed normal operations.
A full report from field staff regarding needed assistance for specific recovery efforts in Legazpi and Tabaco is expected within the next week. Hagupit is forecast to depart the Philippines area by Wednesday evening (Thursday morning in the Philippines).
We thank you for keeping our sponsorship family in your thoughts and prayers during this emergency.
It is Children International’s policy to contact sponsors directly when their child is significantly impacted by a disaster.
Hagupit Loses Strength but Is Drenching Manila
Roughly 1 million Filipinos have been displaced and nearly two dozen people have lost their lives as a result of Typhoon Hagupit (Ruby) pummeling the island nation of the Philippines since it made landfall as a super typhoon early Saturday, December 6.
Where the typhoon has already passed through, including Legazpi and Tabaco, where 30,000 CI-sponsored children and youth live, evacuees have begun returning to their homes to begin the process of salvaging belongings and rebuilding their houses.
A community living near the shoreline in Legazpi begins digging out.
A father and son work together to reclaim the inside of their home.
Our Mobile Monitoring Teams are continuing their assessments, visiting homes of sponsored families to check on their safety and evaluating damage to structures. CI staff are also distributing food, water and other supplies to those impacted.
In some areas, walls, roofs and belongings were lost during the storm's peak, which included winds exceeding 100 mph and 15-foot storm surges. Many of those homes are now buried under several feet of black sand.
Electricity has been restored in parts of the Bicol region, and CI community centers that were not used as evacuation centers are reopening to offer support and aid.
Although the storm has been downgraded since leaving the area surrounding Tabaco and Legazpi, its slow trek as it enters Metro Manila is expected to cause severe flooding there, especially in low-lying areas. Children International serves nearly 38,000 children and youth in Manila and Quezon City. Fortunately, Metro Manila is currently under the lowest storm warning (Signal Level 1, with 20-35 mph winds).
We will continue to provide updates as we receive new information. Please be sure to check our Facebook page and Twitter feed (#Hagupit) for more frequent updates.
We will notify sponsors directly if their child has been significantly impacted by the storm.
A man tries to salvage his damaged boat in a Tabaco bay.
Inside a school turned into an evacuation center, a girl eats donated food.
Aid Being Prepared for Distribution to Super Typhoon Hagupit Victims
As Typhoon Hagupit (known locally as Ruby) continues slowly making its way across the Philippines and toward Manila and Quezon City, Children International field staff continue the distribution of food, water and other supplies to sponsored families in Legazpi and Tabaco, which experienced the storm earlier. Many of those families have already left evacuation centers and are attempting to reach their homes now that the storm has moved through the Bicol region.
Some roads, however, continue to be impassable due to downed trees and landslides. The Filipino military has been working to clear debris to allow relief goods and medical teams into areas where the storm has passed.
The typhoon continues to weaken from its former Super Typhoon status. Wind gusts have been less strong, but because the storm is moving so slowly, rainfall totals have added up quickly across the areas where the storm has passed. The strongest period of the storm is expected to affect the Metro Manila area around 8-10 p.m. Monday. (The Philippines are 14 hours ahead of Central Standard Time in the United States.)
Throughout the weekend, weather in Metro Manila was mild. But the government has issued a Public Storm Warning of Signal Level No. 2, indicating that winds of greater than 60 kph (37 mph) and up to 100 kph (62 mph) can be expected in at least 24 hours. Moderate to heavy rainfall has also been forecast.
All school, as well as government and bank offices, have been suspended in Quezon City and other parts of Metro Manila due to the threat of floods. Quezon City CI staff will work a half day but continue to provide reports on the effect of the typhoon on our sponsored communities.
After experiencing Super Typhoon Haiyan a year ago, most Filipinos took evacuation orders seriously, which has successfully aided in so far keeping most of the population safe.
Source: Joint Typhoon Warning System.
Typhoons are a common occurrence in the Philippines. As a result, Children International staff, volunteers and sponsored Youth Health Corps members train regularly year-round so they are well-prepared to offer rapid assistance. Classes teach individuals about emergency preparedness and response. Because of the effectiveness of the training, the Philippines government has awarded CI with special accolades for multiple years running.
CI also provides food and water assistance, safe spaces for children to play – and receive counseling – as well as support for families in helping them get their lives back to normal.
Because of the nature of the disaster, staff will continue to assess and send us status reports on children, families and facilities over the next few days. Please check our Facebook page and Twitter feed (#Hagupit) for more frequent updates as we receive information.
As always, it is Children International's policy to contact sponsors if their children have been significantly affected by a disaster.
Typhoon Hagupit (Ruby) is slowly churning across the Philippines after making landfall near Legazpi earlier this weekend. At its peak, winds topped 130 mph and coastal areas experienced storm surges of up to 15 feet.
Although the strongest part of the storm has moved beyond Tabaco and Legazpi, its sluggish trek means the typhoon is dumping vast amounts of rainfall in concentrated areas, increasing the risk for severe flooding and mudslides. Most of the region is currently without power. Public water supplies are limited, and communication services remain sporadic.
Our Mobile Monitoring Team is continually assessing the situation, relaying reports of the well-being of our sponsored population as frequently as they are able to do so. Fortunately, we have no reports of fatalities or major injuries to any of our children or families at this time. CI sponsors over 30,000 children in and around Legazpi and Tabaco.
The typhoon is expected to track over Metro Manila (which includes Quezon City) in the next 24 hours. The weather there is currently windy, but rains have not yet arrived. Classes in Manila (as well as Legazpi and Tabaco) have been cancelled through Monday, though CI's main office in the metro and all eight of its community centers will be open and on alert as the storm approaches. Staff there are putting safety precautions in place at the centers and will begin reporting on affected populations as the storm arrives. CI currently has more than 36,000 children in the Metro Manila area.
CI field staff are taking measures to ensure that recovery efforts after Typhoon Hagupit (Ruby) passes will go as smoothly as possible. These plans include setting up child-friendly spaces (CFS) to ensure our kids and youth have shelters where they can feel safe and receive help with psychological trauma after the storm. Further details from our agencies include:
Nearly 1 million Filipinos have been impacted by Typhoon Hagupit (Ruby).
Please check our Facebook page and Twitter feed (#Hagupit) for more frequent updates as we receive information.
As always, CI will contact sponsors directly if their child has been significantly impacted by this disaster.
Typhoon Hagupit (Ruby) made landfall in the Philippines overnight (Saturday afternoon in the Philippines). The people of Legazpi and Tabaco are experiencing heavy rain and winds (projected to be between 101-185 kph) and intermittent electricity.
More than 2,000 sponsored families in Legazpi and Tabaco were evacuated from their homes to community centers and other evacuation sites. Local government units are providing relief goods to evacuees. As the situation permits, our Mobile Monitoring Team will continue to assess the impact that the storm has had on our sponsored population. We will provide updates as we receive more information from field staff.
Our Manila and Quezon City agencies are monitoring the track of the storm closely – where it is expected reach its peak later this weekend. Damage from high winds and flooding are expected throughout the region.
Once again, it is Children International's policy to contact sponsors when their child is directly impacted by a disaster.
Potentially Devastating Typhoon to Hit Philippines
Bracing for a direct hit from Typhoon Hagupit (known locally as Ruby), Children International's agencies in the Philippines have begun preparing for the worst, evacuating people from coastal and low-lying areas in the projected path of the storm.
In terms of strength, the storm's winds have fluctuated between 133 and 155 mph, which means it could be categorized as a Super Typhoon when it hits the island nation.
Hagupit is expected to make landfall Friday evening (Saturday morning or afternoon in the Philippines), in roughly in the same areas devastated by Typhoon Haiyan in November 2013.
Our staff on the ground in Legazpi and Tabaco, located southeast of Manila, report that some areas began experiencing rainfall, strong winds and brownouts as of 8:30 a.m. (CST).
Children International community centers and a local school are serving as evacuation shelters. An AquaTower, which supplies fresh water, has been prepped for emergency use.
Staff in Quezon City and Manila are on alert for potential flooding and strong winds.
CI sponsors more than 70,000 children in the Philippines, and more than 30,000 of our children live in and around the cities of Tabaco and Legazpi.
Should the need arise, we are preparing to distribute food, water and other emergency supplies to our affected population. (See below for a video showing how CI helps out after damaging storms.)
Please check our Facebook page and Twitter feed (#TyphoonHagupit) for more frequent updates as we receive information.
We thank you for keeping our children and their families in your thoughts and prayers this weekend.
As always, it is Children International's policy to contact sponsors when their child is directly impacted by a disaster.
