Damage OF Super Typhoon Juan “Megi” To Northern Philippines

Typhoon Megi (international designation: 1013, JTWC designation: 15W, PAGASA name: Juan). It is the first typhoon of 2010 in the Pacific Basin to achieve "Super Typhoon" status. With a minimum pressure of 885 millibars, it is among the most intense tropical cyclones ever recorded. It made landfall early on October 18 in northeastern Luzon at Sierra Madre, becoming one of the strongest storms in recorded history to make landfall anywhere in the world.


As the Typoon Megi neared Luzon, the Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) announced that they will start issuing storm warning signals as early as Sunday or from the day before the typhoon’s landfall on October 18.



Inhabitants of the Isabela and Cagayan provinces have been advised to bring in their harvests before Megi arrives while fishing in the Ilocos region has been postponed as inhabitants of that region were advised to seek shelter.


In response to orders from, PAGASA announced that they will be posting hourly tropical cyclone updates. PAGASA were posting their hourly updates in their Twitter account and their Websites.



Late on October 16, PAGASA issued Storm Signal 1 for Cagayan, Isabela, Babuyan and Calayan islands in the northern Philippines.




Evacuations began with hundreds of people fleeing from Luzon as Megi intensified into a super typhoon and Storm signal number 3 raised. Over 18 provinces have been placed under alert for the typhoon as it approached the Philippines. Cagayan province started experiencing the strong winds of typhoon Megi early on October 17. Later on that day, all state schools and colleges were suspended. PAGASA declared public storm warning number 4 announcing that over 7 million people could be affected. The storm warning was later raised to the highest level over Cagayan and Isabela as tropical storm force winds began blowing throughout Cagayan province. All state schools and colleges in Cagayan, the Ilocos and the Cordilleras were closed for the day in preparation.



As the storm neared landfall, torrential rains fell across much of Luzon, resulting in flash flooding. One person drowned near Tuguegarao during the afternoon of October 18. Later, the storm made landfall at Sierra Madre, Luzon, at 11:25 a.m. (local time). All flights bound for the Northern Philippines were cancelled because of the impact of the typhoon. With one person dead already, President Benigno Aquino III called for cooperation from all concerned government and private sector groups to prevent fatalities.



Many villagers in Cagayan rushed to high ground as the typhoon made landfall, while in some parts of Luzon severe rain caused flash floods. Over 1,000 people are stranded among different port terminals of Luzon as a total of 55 vessels were out of service due to typhoon restrictions. Two more people have been injured in the typhoon.



Late on October 18, the Isabela province was placed under a state of calamity when the typhoon finished its final landfall and moved further inland. . Communication lines in Cagayan and Isabela were down during the typhoon. The Philippine Red Cross sent a water search and rescue (WASAR) team to Cagayan in order to rescue as many people as possible. Another person was confirmed dead in the flash floods caused by the typhoon. And a child was electrocuted when he stepped a live wire from a fallen post while he followed his father, who did not knew that his son was following him, later on that day.



Isabela and Cagayan, which were placed under storm warning number 4. It was also reported that the trees in those provinces were uprooted and the roofs of the houses were blown away by the wind. PAGASA lowered storm signals as the typhoon weakened when it slammed into the mountains in northern Luzon.



Many roads in Luzon remained closed as of October 18. An additional 3 people have died in the typhoon raising death toll to 5. It has been reported that a total of 3,687 individuals from northern Philippines have been evacuated. Power lines have been dropped putting parts of Luzon in dark. It was estimated that over 90% of the telecommunications in Luzon were lost when poles were knocked down and the lines were dropped. . An additional 4 people were injured totaling the causalities to 6.



Many school buildings and town halls were turned into evacuation centers. Thousands of military reserve officers and volunteers were on standby for whatever emergency that might cause by the typhoon.


The typhoon badly damaged the rice crops, most especially on part of Isabela and Cagayan where t he largest rice produces of the Philippines, however, The National Food Authority (NFA) assured the public that they have enough rice in the warehouse that can’t cause rice shortage in the next few weeks.


Thousands of residents turned out to be homeless as the typhoon winds blew the rooftops out and destroyed the surroundings. Three more people have died leaving there injured resulting in 7 deaths and 9 casualties. More reports arrived that over 10 people were now confirmed dead in Luzon. And another person was killed in a lightning strike increasing the death toll to 11. While, in Metro Manila, classes in all levels were suspended, even on October 19 as tropical storm force winds continued to batter the city The United Nations vowed that they will be helping Philippines in recovering from the typhoon.



Late on October 19, parts of Luzon were still experiencing heavy tropical storm force winds and power outages continued putting the nation's largest island in darkness. The UN committed to help the Philippine government in dealing with the destruction caused by the strong typhoon force winds of Super Typhoon Megi. In National Capital Region, at 11am (0300 UTC) different elementary and high schools suspended their classes due to heavy rains and strong winds that brought by typhoon Megi. The Nation estimated their agricultural losses reaching US$34 million.