Preparations
On November 22, the National Disaster Coordinating Council (NDCC) of the Philippines took full precautions in advance of Typhoon Mitag. Only a tropical storm at the time, the NDCC ordered the evacuation of nearly 3,000 people and opened at least ten evacuation centers. Immediate standby funds of PHP3.2 million (US$67,000) and relief goods worth PHP41.1 million (US$860,700) were placed in the National Resource Operations Center. Trucks supplied with a combined 4,000 packs of clothing and 100 tents were prepped for immediate distribution after the storm. The Armed Forces of the Philippines placed five battalions, consisting of trucks, saws, boats, helicopters and naval ships to respond to reports of missing people and clear debris after the storm.
An estimated 300,000 people evacuated ahead of the storm from six provinces in Luzon. Roughly 15,000 people were also evacuated from Palanan. Hospital staff were placed on 24-hour standby to readily assist people injured by the storm. Typhoon Mitag became the most significant storm to threaten the country since Typhoon Durian one year prior. Thousands of residents were evacuated throughout 40 regions. The Government of the United States was on standby in Okinawa to immediately deploy assistance in fear of another major disaster. Roughly 30,000 people evacuated the Bicol Peninsula ahead of the storm. In Isabela province, 54,000 people were evacuated from low-lying areas prone to flooding. Trucks with relief items, such as food and medicine, were stocked and prepped for immediate deployment.
Over 2,000 residents were evacuated from Albay Province by November 22. Officials reported that nearly 654,000 people had to be evacuated from the province, especially those near the Mayon Volcano. In Legazpi City, Camalig, Daraga, and Guinobatan towns over 9,000 people were evacuated due to the threat of lahars. Over 6,000 families were evacuated from Polangui town. Officials stated that there were at least 180,000 people in Albay that were at risk of being impacted by storm surge from Typhoon Mitag. More than 200,000 families were evacuated from Camarines Sur Province. Already impacted by Typhoon Hagibis, disaster officials requested PHP67 million (US$1.4 million) in funds for both storms. By November 23, officials urged over one million people to evacuate threatened areas as Typhoon Mitag was anticipated to become a very powerful typhoon.
Read more about this topic: Typhoon Mitag (2007)
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