Typhoon Juan (international code Megi), the strongest cyclone to hit the country this year made landfall midday Monday in the northeastern part of Luzon with packed maximum winds of up to 225 kilometers per hour (kph) near the center and gustiness of up to 260 kph.
The day long heavy rains and strong winds brought by Juan destroyed houses, felled trees, caused power outages and cut off communication lines in Cagayan and Isabela provinces and flooded some towns in Pangasinan.
Isabela is still under state of emergency but the worst is over for Cagayan, said Office of Civil Defense administrator and NDRRMC executive Director Benito Ramos.
The 5:00 pm weather update from PAGASA, however, showed that the typhoon appeared to be weakening while crossing the Sierra Madre mountains.
As of 10:00 pm, typhoon Juan was located at 80 kilometers west northwest of Baguio City with maximum sustained wind of 160 kph near the center and gustiness of up to 195 kph. Typhoon Juan is heading west northwest with the speed of 20 kph.
Based on the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council’s (NDRRMC, formerly NDCC) latest site report, at least 974 families or 4,614 persons were affected by typhoon Juan in four regions in La Union, Pangasinan, Cagayan, Isabela, Kalinga and Aurora. As of Monday night, some 866 families or 4,151 persons were evacuated in 16 evacuation centers across Ilocos region, Cagayan Valley, Cordillera and Central Luzon.
Among the casualties of typhoon Juan were Vicente Decena, 53, a fisherman from Cagayan province; and Aileen Respicio, 20, of Kalinga province.