FLASH UPDATE #1 – Tropical Storm MEGI (Agaton), Philippines
OVERVIEW: According to the Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA), Tropical Storm (TS) MEGI (local name: Agaton) maintains its strength while moving slowly westward over the coastal waters of Guiuan, Eastern Samar. The tropical storm has made landfall over Calicoan Island, Guiuan, Eastern Samar at 0630 HRS UTC+7 today.
LOCATION: The centre was estimated based on all available data at over the coastal waters of Guiuan, Eastern Samar
INTENSITY: Maximum sustained winds of 75 km/h near the centre, gustiness of up to 105 km/h, and central pressure of 996 hPa. Strong winds or higher extend outwards up to 220 km from the centre
MOVEMENT: westward slowly
TROPICAL CYCLONE WIND SIGNAL (TCWS):
- TCWS no. 2 (Minor to moderate threat to life and property): The southern portion of Eastern Samar, the southern portion of Samar, and the northeastern portion of Leyte in Visayas and the northern portion of Dinagat Islands in Mindanao
- TCWS no. 1 (Minimal to minor threat to life and property): The rest of Eastern Samar, the rest of Samar, Northern Samar, Biliran, the rest of Leyte, Southern Leyte, and the northeastern portion of Cebu including Camotes Islands in Visayas and Surigao del Norte and the rest of Dinagat Islands in Mindanao
HAZARDS:
- At most Heavy to intense with at times torrential rains over Eastern Visayas and Dinagat Islands.
- Severe winds (gale-force in strength) especially in areas where TCWS no. 2 is hoisted throughout the passage of TS MEGI (Agaton)
- Under these conditions and considering the significant antecedent rainfall, scattered to widespread flooding and rain-induced landslides especially in areas that are highly or very highly susceptible to these hazards as identified in hazard maps.
IMPACTS: According to the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC)
- 38,399 families (45,588 persons) have been affected from 106 Barangays in the following Regions: 10, 11, CARAGA, and BARMM
- 3,228 families (11,264 persons) displaced and are inside 52 evacuation centres
- 1 dead, 1 missing, and 2 injured have been reported
- 44 damaged houses have been reported in Region 10
- 47 roads and 2 bridges have been affected
- A total of 3 cities/municipalities experienced power outage but was already restored; One (1) city/municipality is currently experiencing water supply interruption
- 230 hectares of crops (worth 17.5K USD) have been reportedly damaged in BARMM
PREPAREDNESS AND RESPONSE:
- NDRRMC raised its alert status to RED on 8 April 2022, 1700 HRS UTC+7 in response to the impacts of TS MEGI (Agaton)
- Meetings among the Pre-Disaster Risk Analysis (PDRA) group, core group, NDRRMC member agencies, and Office of Civil Defense have been facilitated
- Continuous monitoring and dissemination of early warning information and advisories through SMS, social media, and official channels down to the Local Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Councils (LDRRMC)
OUTLOOK:
- TS MEGI (Agaton) made landfall over Calicoan Island, Guiuan, Eastern Samar at 0630 HRS UTC+7 today
- Today (10 Apr) through early Tuesday (12 Apr), TS MEGI (Agaton) is forecast to move erratically or remain almost stationary over the southern portion of Samar Island and its coastal waters due to weak steering movement. Due to the expected erratic movement, a westward shift in track is possible. Thus, TS MEGI (Agaton) may move over the coastal waters or may make another landfall in Leyte
- By mid-Tuesday (12 Apr), TS MEGI (Agaton) will gradually accelerate, turn east-southeastward or eastward as the tropical storm interacts with Tropical Cyclone (TC) MALAKAS currently located in the Northwest Pacific Ocean
- TS MEGI (Agaton) will likely remain a Tropical Storm for most of the forecast period, but the downgrading to Tropical Depression is not ruled out due to potential interaction with land
- TS MEGI (Agaton) is forecast to degenerate into a remnant low by late Tuesday (12 Apr) or early Wednesday (13 Apr) as TC MALAKAS begins to assimilate its circulation
The AHA Centre will continue to monitor and issue necessary updates once more information from official sources becomes available.
DATA SOURCES
- ASEAN Disaster Monitoring & Response System (DMRS); Pacific Disaster Center (PDC Global); ASMC;
- Philippines: NDRRMC, PAGASA;
- Verified news media agencies.
