Super Typhoon Pepito cuts power in parts of Aurora

Parts of Aurora province are currently without power due to the onslaught of Super Typhoon Pepito (international name: Man-Yi), with the province now under tropical cyclone wind signal (TCWS) 4.

According to Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (PDRRMO) head Engineer Elson Egargue, several areas have already been reported to have lost electricity connections.

“Nagkaroon na po ng power interruption kani kanina lang po at ito nga po, epekto na po ito ng Bagyong Pepito (There were reports of a power interruption just a while ago and this is the effect of typhoon Pepito),” he said in an interview on GMA Super Radyo dzBB on Sunday.

“Kawawala lang po. Baka ito pong San Luis, Baler, central town ng Aurora, palagay ko po kasama po sila (Power just went out. Maybe San Luis, Baler, the central town of Aurora, is affected),” he added.

Egargue said Aurora is preparing for the impact of Pepito over its southern portion on Sunday afternoon, with preemptive and forced evacuations made especially on the coastal and landslide-prone areas on Saturday, November 16.

Aurora is currently under TCWS 4, along with several areas, indicating that it may face typhoon-force winds ranging from 118 to 184 kilometers per hour in the next 12 hours, that may have significant to severe threat to life and property.

For its part, the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) said it has mobilized its line crews and is conducting patrols in areas hit by Pepito. It has already restored three transmission lines as of Sunday afternoon — Naga-Lagonoy, Naga-Iriga, and Tiwi C-Pawa.\

Pepito was last seen 120 kilometers east southeast of Baler, Aurora, with maximum sustained winds of 185 kilometers per hour (kph) near the center, and gustiness of up to 230 kph. It was moving northwestward at 20 kph.—RF, GMA Integrated News