DAVAO CITY (MindaNews/20 January) – The low pressure area (LPA) on January 11 that intensified into tropical depression Agaton on January 17 and weakened into an LPA by 10 a.m. on January 20, left Mindanao with 42 dead, 65 injured and seven still missing., the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) reported in its 6 p.m. Monday update.
It added that a total of 165,032 families or 795,588 persons were affected in 795 barangays in 103 municipalities in 15 provinces of Regions X, XI, CARAGA and ARMM.
Out of the total affected, 26,422 families / 123,565 persons were displaced and served inside 363 evacuation centers, it said.
The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) in its Weather Bulletin 13 issued at 11 a.m. Monday said all public storm warning signals had been lifted as of 10 a.m. Monday as Agaton’s center was spotted 400 kms east southeast of Davao City and 455 kms east of General Santos City.
The LPA, according to the bulletin, was expected to bring moderate to occasionally heavy rains and thunderstorms over Northern Mindanao, Caraga and Davao regions.
In its 6 p.m. advisory, PAGASA said the LPA was still at 400 kms east southeast of Davao City.
The regions of Caraga and Northern Mindanao will experience “cloudy skies with moderate to heavy rains and thunderstorms which may trigger flashfloods and landslides,” the PAGASA advisory said, adding the rest of Mindanao would be “cloudy with light to moderate rainshowers and thunderstorms,” Visayas will have cloudy skies with light to moderate rains and Metro manila and the rest of luzon will be partly cloudy to cloudy with isolated light rains.
On Friday, Public Storm Warning Signal 1 was raised over the Caraga region (Surigao del Norte, Surigao del Sur, Agusan del Norte, Agusan del Sur) and Davao Oriental and Compostela provinces.
On Sunday, Signal 1 was lifted over Surigao del Norte and Agusan del Norte but continued to be hoisted over Surigao del Sur, Agusan del Sur, Davao Oriental and Compostela Valley, with Davao del Norte and Davao del Sur placed under Signal 1.
The warning signal was lifted at 10 a.m. Monday. (MindaNews)