Some 1,159 individuals in Pangasinan and 788 in La Union have safely returned to their homes after a preemptive evacuation due to Typhoon Karding.
Pangasinan Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (PDRRMO) officer of the day, EmilVen Laudencio, said the evacuees in Pangasinan were from landslide-prone and flood-prone areas in Basista, Sual, Anda, Bani, Burgos, Labrador, Bugallon, Bolinao, Aguilar, San Fabian, Binmaley and Bayambang towns, Alaminos and Dagupan cities.
“Their local government units implemented preemptive evacuation but they have now returned home as the tropical cyclone wind signal (TCWS) in the province is no longer in effect,” he said in an interview on Monday.
Laudencio said there were no reported casualties or injured as of 2 p.m. on Monday while the damage to agriculture and infrastructure is still being assessed.
He said the province remained under red alert status while the gale warning was up prohibiting fishermen from setting sail.
“Rescue teams are still deployed in the coastal areas as we are still expecting the effect of Karding when it exits the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR),” he said.
The La Union PDRRMO confirmed in a phone interview that the 488 individuals or 176 families who were evacuated have also returned home.
A ‘no swimming’ policy is being implemented in the coastal areas of the province, especially in San Juan town, even as no storm signal raised in the province.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. suspended government work and public school classes in some regions, including the Ilocos Region, on Monday due to “Karding” upon the recommendation of the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council. (PNA)