Storm Glenda has killed a nurse, injured three others and rendered two fishermen missing in Northern Samar as it smashed Eastern Visayas on Tuesday.
Confirmed dead is Lourdes Lim, 50, of Lagundi village, Allen, Northern Samar, the Office of the Civil Defense (OCD) reported Wednesday.
A toppled electric post hit her while on her way home from her duty as staff nurse of Allen District Hospital Tuesday afternoon, according to OCD.
The Northern Samar provincial disaster risk reduction and management office confirmed that fisherman Jeffrey Longcot and an unidentified companion have been missing for three days after they left their coastal village in Mapanas town on Monday.
Three persons in Catarman, Northern Samar were injured during the wrath of storm Glenda. They are Victoriano Custona Jr., 46; Kim Sagurio, 31; and Joselito Tibayan, 49.
At least 1,306 families in Eastern Visayas were moved to safer grounds on Tuesday as the state weather bureau raised public storm signals in Northern Samar, Samar, Eastern Samar, Leyte, Biliran and Southern Leyte.
Of the total displaced families, 941 were in Tacloban City; 10 in Leyte, Leyte; 67 in Biliran, Biliran; 237 in Arteche and Jipapad, Eastern Samar; 202 in Catbalogan City in Samar; and 120 in Calbayog City also in Samar.
Severely affected by flooding in Northern Samar were the towns of Catarman with 212 displace families, Bobon with 60 families, Gamay with 217 households, and San Roque with 64 families.
In Tacloban City, affected families were in tents and makeshift houses where they took shelter in the Tacloban City Convention Center until Tuesday night.
“People voluntarily evacuated because the memory of super typhoon Yolanda is still fresh. They have been reactive to weather disturbances and we hope that this attitude will be sustained,” OCD Eastern Visayas regional director Blanche T. Gobenciong told reporters.
At least 1,537 Luzon-bound passengers and 243 rolling cargoes have been stranded in Allen, Northern Samar port since Tuesday due to rough seas.
“Despite fine weather today (Wednesday), power outages are still being experienced in the areas some parts of Eastern Samar, Northern Samar, Samar and Biliran,” Gobenciong added.
Classes in all levels resumed Wednesday in affected areas after it was cancelled on Tuesday.
Three teams from OCD regional offices in Mindanao will be deployed Thursday in Samar, Eastern Samar, and Northern Samar to conduct a three-day rapid assessment of damages.
Meanwhile, the Department of Health (DOH) coordinated with local health offices for monitoring of incidents and deployed nurses to Samar and Northern Samar to augment operation centers and response teams on duty.
