Isabela under state of calamity due to 'Juan'

Isabela province was placed under a state of calamity after super-typhoon Juan (Megi) made landfall there before noon Monday. Office of Civil Defense Cagayan Valley regional director Norma Talosig said they expected heavy damage to the province's crops, power and communication. "The province of Isabela is declared under state of calamity. Yan ang unang pinasok ni Juan. With this epekto ng typhoon Juan we are expecting heavy damages to our crops, ito nga ang electric power distribution na-interrupt na," Talosig said in an interview on dzBB radio. (The province of Isabela is under a state of calamity, being the first province hit by 'Juan.' With this we expect heavy damage to our crops. Electric power has already been interrupted.)
She cited information reaching the OCD that power outages have hit Cagayan and Isabela provinces. Cagayan and Isabela were placed under Signal No. 4, even as Juan slammed into Isabela shortly before noon Monday. Talosig said her office has yet to receive reports of casualties as of 2 p.m. In Dinapigue town, mayor Renato Candido said most of the damage initially noticed was to crops. As of 2:45 p.m. Monday, he said the winds had weakened. "Yung pananim natin maraming napinsala ... Wala pa masyadong tubig baha, yun lang pinsala ng hangin (Many of our crops were destroyed. There was relatively little flood water but much of the damage came from the winds)," he said. - KBK, GMANews.TV