About 200,000 people are spending their Christmas in evacuation centers in the Philippines, as Typhoon Nock-Ten, or locally known as Typhoon Nina, crashed into the country, hitting the central islands. The typhoon was with maximum sustained winds of 185 kilometers per hour and gusts of up to 255 kilometers upon making a landfall on Catanduanes and Bicol peninsula, which issued a storm and flood alert levels in the vicinity.
Power and roadside cutoffs hampered non-profit organizations to send aids to the victims. The provinces of Catanduanes and Albay have been declared under a "state of imminent disaster."
According to the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA), Nina slightly weakens as it heads for Calabarzon Region. The agency also said that the center was located 85 km north of Romblon as of 4 AM on Monday.
As of writing, PAGASA issued that estimated rainfall amount is from moderate to heavy within the 400 km diameter of the typhoon. Storm surge height of up to 2.5 meters is possible over the coastal areas of Camarines Sur and Southern Quezon.
Christmas in Bicol, Philippines
Typhoons hitting the country on Christmas are not uncommon. PAGASA reported that seven typhoons have ravaged the Philippines on Christmas Day.
Camarines Sur Governor Miguel Villafuerte orders a mandatory preemptive evacuation on December 23. But given that it's Christmas, the biggest holiday celebration in the Philippines, some people refused to evacuate despite officials warning of storm surges in coastal villages, flash floods and landslides.
"Province spearheading ongoing evacuation in coastal barangays. A couple of incidents where people don't want to evacuate. Please do so," Villafuerte took to Twitter to express this concern. The young governor also added, "I know it is Christmas and is somewhat sunny right now, but this is a legit typhoon. Pls evacuate, magpapalechon tayo sa mga evacuation cntr (Please evacuate, we'll have lechon [roasted pig] at the evacuation center).
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