‘Cosme’ plunges Pangasinan into darkness; warning raised

(Updated 11:55 p.m.) MANILA, Philippines - After making landfall in western Pangasinan, tropical storm "Cosme" (Halong) triggered waist-high floods and power outages to several areas in the province Saturday night. As this developed, the National Disaster Coordinating Council (NDCC) on Saturday warned residents in low-lying areas and near mountain slopes in northern Luzon against flooding and landslides due to tropical storm “Cosme." Mark Letijio, a resident of Bugallon town, said many residents in his village were forced to spend the night on their roofs as floods hit their neighborhoods. "Ang naapektuhan karamihan mga bata, karamihan ng bahay tanggal bubong dahil sa sobrang lakas ng hangin. Yung mga bata medyo basa na, giniginaw na rin (Many of those affected now are children. Many houses have had their roofs blown away. Many children are now wet and shivering)," he said in an interview on dzBB radio. He lamented that as of Saturday night, there were no rescue workers or provincial disaster management workers to help them. "Walang dumarating na saklolo sa area namin (As of now we have not received any help)," he said. Bugallon is a third-class town in with a population of 57,445 people in 10,614 households. Storm batters Benguet After causing floods and power outages while crossing Pangasinan, tropical storm "Cosme" reached Benguet province as of 11 p.m. Saturday. Pagasa said that as of 10 p.m., "Cosme" was 30 kilometers east-northeast of Dagupan City or in Baguio City. It packed maximum sustained winds of 105 kph near the center and gustiness of up to 135 kph, and was moving east-northeast at 19 kph. Pagasa said that by Sunday evening, "Cosme" was expected to be 180 km east-northeast of Aparri, Cagayan. By Monday evening, it was expected to be 590 km northeast of Basco, Batanes. By Tuesday evening, it was expected to be 410 km east-northeast of Okinawa, Japan. Placed under Storm Signal No. 3 were Zambales, Pangasinan, Tarlac, La Union, Benguet, Ilocos Sur, Nueva Vizcaya, Quirino, Ifugao, Mt. Province, Kalinga, Isabela, Southern Cagayan, and Abra. Under Signal No. 2 were Ilocos Norte, Apayao, the rest of Cagayan, Pampanga, Nueva Ecija, and Aurora. Under Signal No. 1 were Bataan, Bulacan and Batanes, even as storm warning signals elsewhere were lowered. Pagasa said "Cosme" will continue to enhance the southwest monsoon and bring occasional rains over the rest of Southern Luzon and Western Visayas. Residents in low-lying areas and near mountain slopes were advised to take all necessary precautions against possible flash floods and landslides. Also, residents along coastal areas of Western Luzon and Western Visayas were alerted against big waves generated by "Cosme." - GMANews.TV