Tropical storm “Tino” brought heavy rains that caused flooding, landslides, and triggered panic-buying in parts of the Visayas and Mindanao on Monday. The storm slightly intensified while moving toward Eastern Visayas and the Caraga Administrative Region in Mindanao, with its center estimated at 170 kilometers east southeast of Guiuan, Eastern Samar. It was moving westward at 20 kilometers per hour with maximum sustained winds of 130 kilometers per hour near the center, with gustiness of up to 160 km/h. The storm is forecast to make landfall or pass very close to Homonhon Island or Dinagat Islands Monday night or early Tuesday morning, and is expected to make landfall over Leyte or Southern Leyte by early Tuesday morning before crossing the Visayas and northern Palawan throughout Wednesday early morning. The typhoon will likely emerge over the West Philippine Sea by Wednesday morning or afternoon and is expected to exit the Philippine area of responsibility by Thursday morning. In Cebu, a rain-induced landslide struck Barangay Bongon in Tabuelan, and several towns in northern Cebu reported flooding, prompting the Cebu government to order evacuations in low-lying areas. The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council raised its blue alert status to red to monitor and ensure prompt coordination with concerned agencies and offices due to Typhoon Tino. Eastern Visayas and Southern Leyte have also been placed under “red alert,” with response efforts in full force and evacuations underway. The Department of Natural Resources-Mining and Geosciences Bureau in Eastern Visayas issued a geohazard advisory, warning residents in areas highly susceptible to landslides and flooding.
