Quezon City (Philippines) authorities said on November 7 that they are preparing to raise the warning level to orange level, which means mandatory evacuation and prevention in areas at high risk of flooding this weekend, as Typhoon Fung-wong approaches the mainland.
Spokeswoman for the Quezon City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council, Ms. Peachy De Leon, said that vulnerable areas include Barangay Apolonio Samson and Sto. Domingo, Tatalon and Bagong Silangan.
A pre-disaster risk assessment meeting was chaired by Mayor Joy Belmonte, in which emergency response groups reported their readiness, and local authorities were required to proactively prepare response plans.
The Department of Social Service Development was ordered to be on duty to provide necessities to evacuated people, while the Departments of Health, Veterans and Public Security were also placed in a state of high vigilance.
According to Ms. De Leon, the city has arranged a gathering area for rescue vehicles and response equipment in each district, and activated the Emergency Response Fund. Everyone is on standby as the storm could hit by the weekend, so teams need to coordinate now, De Leon said.
The Department of Construction has announced the temporary removal of billboards to avoid the risk of collapse due to strong winds. People are advised to call the 122 hotline for emergency assistance, and immediately evacuate when requested by local authorities.
According to the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA), Typhoon Fung-wong is expected to enter the Philippine Forecast Area (PAR) on the evening of November 8 or the morning of November 9 (local time) and will be locally named Uwan.
At around 11am (local time), the center of Typhoon Fung-wong was determined to be about 1,315km east of Eastern Visayas.
The storm could strengthen into a super typhoon as it approaches the Bicol region and is likely to make landfall in northern Aurora or southern Isabela province on the evening of November 9 or early morning of November 10 (local time).
With a radius of strong winds of up to 720km from the center of the storm, Fung-wong could affect much of the Philippine territory as it moves.
