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Philippines - Typhoon Imbudo OCHA Situation Report No. 1

Countries
Philippines
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OCHA
Publication date

Ref: OCHA/GVA - 2003/0112
OCHA Situation Report No. 1
Philippines - Typhoon Imbudo
Occurred on 22 July 2003

This report is based on information received from the Office of the UN Resident Coordinator in the Philippines and media reports.

SITUATION AND DAMAGE

1. On 22 July 2003 Typhoon Imbudo which was centered about 360 kilometers (225 miles) southeast of Aparri town in Cagayan province, hit the Philippines with peak sustained winds of nearly 200 kilometers (nearly 120 miles) an hour, rescuers and radio reports said. The hardest hit areas are the southern provinces of Maguindanao (in the Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao - ARMM), North Cotabato and Sultan Kudarat (Region XII), the northern provinces of Isabela (Region II), Ilocos Norte (Region I), and the central province of Romblon (Region IV). The Typhoon also dumped heavy rains on parts of the central Visayas. The strongest typhoon to strike the Philippines in five years toppled power pylons and uprooted trees as it reached land on the northern town of Palanan in mid-morning, blacking out a wide area of the north.

2. Typhoon Imbudo has reportedly killed 21 people in the Philippines this week. The typhoon, which blew out of the country on Wednesday, left 10 people dead in the northern and central Philippines and 11 people dead in the southern island of Mindanao, according to a tally from several officials. Most of the dead were swept away by flash floods or crushed by landslides and fallen trees.

3. The typhoon also caused 1.09 billion pesos (US$20.5 million) in damage to crops with 258.93 million pesos (US$4.9 million) in damage to infrastructure and 51.5 million pesos (US$968,000) in damage to livestock, the civil defense office said in a statement.

NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL RESPONSE

4. A total of 14,280 residents of low-lying areas were evacuated to nine evacuation centers established in the respective regions, mostly on the island of Mindanao, as a precautionary measure in case of flooding. In ARMM the following emergency relief supplies have been received: 800 bags of rice, assorted relief goods, packs of biscuits, and ready to eat food.

5. The government has sent local teams out to clear roads of debris and fallen trees, to repair damaged bridges, and to restore electricity and communications systems.

6. OCHA has not received any request for international assistance from the Government.

7. OCHA is in close contact with the UNRC's office in Manila, and will revert with further information, as it becomes available. This situation report, together with information on other ongoing emergencies, is also available on the OCHA Internet Website at http://www.reliefweb.int

MAP - Philippines: Typhoon Imbudo - Situation Map

Telephone: +41-22-917 12 34
Fax: +41-22-917 00 23
E-mail: ochagva@un.org

In case of emergency only: Tel. +41-22-917 20 10

Desk Officers:
Ms. Marie Spaak/Ms. Susan deSouza/Mr. Soichi Nakajima
Direct Tel. +41-22-917 17 28/16 36

Press contact:
(in GVA) - Ms. Elizabeth Byrs, direct Tel. +41-22-917 26 53
(in N.Y.) - Ms. Stephanie Bunker, direct Tel. +1-212-963 87 40

UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs: To learn more about OCHA's activities, please visit https://www.unocha.org/.