Deadly Typhoon Cimaron makes landfall in Luzon

November 1, 2006 Typhoon Cimaron, known to those in the Philippines as Typhoon Paeng, made landfall on October 29 in at around 1:00 UTC. Winds of 160 mph were sustained for one minute, were recorded shortly before landfall. Already, it has killed at least nineteen people, injured 58, and at least fifteen people may still be missing in the Philippines. Damage in the country is estimated to have reached $443 million pesos, or $8.8 million (USD).

Deaths and other affects on people
So far, six people have been reported to have been drowned or killed by falling trees in,. A further 15 people were injured there.

One of those deaths may have been when waves spawned by Cimaron swept away a 19 year old female student, identified as Clarissa Otrera, while swimming near the shore, drowning her. Her two companions, one 18 years old, the other 20, were also swept away, and are still missing. Another girl, Gretchen Bautista of 15 years of age, was also swept into the open ocean along with Clarissa.

Otera and Bautista were rescued right away and taken to Magsingal District Hospital, where Otera was declared dead.

A search and rescue is under way for the two missing students.

A farmer of 29 years of age drowned when his boat overturned in Isabella, police said.

In addition, a 28 year old woman was killed along with her 6 year old child in. Their hut was swept away by the powerful currents.

Three more people drowned in the town of,.

A four year old girl was killed by a landslide in Bugias,, as was a man of 53 years of age in.

In, a house with a mother and her two daughters was buried in landslide, injuring all of them, according to fire official Senior Superintendent Carlito Romero.

A woman died in a road accident that also injured seven other people in.

Another 13-15 people are currently missing, and at least 41 more people not mentioned above were injured to some degree.

In all, Cimaron affected more than 177,000 people.

Damage
Ninety percent of the houses in Dinapigue, Isabela province, were damaged in the town of 5,000 residents, says Mayor Renato Candido.

Over 1,872 houses were damaged, while at least 72 homes were destroyed, 300 of the houses in Baguio City were damaged by powerful winds.

The power in Aurora province was out since Sunday night, but whether or not the electricity has been restored is unknown.

The country's Department of Agriculture has said that up to 30% of rice and corn harvests may have been ruined.

Original total damage estimates were placed at $400 million pesos, or $8 million United States Dollars, but were revised to $139 million pesos, or $2.79 million USD in total damage. Of that total, $114.39 million pesos, or $2.3 million USD, was from and  damage, mostly from the. The remaining money was $22.8 million pesos, or $458,600+ USD in damage to roads and bridges and damage to school buildings was worth $2 million pesos, equivalent to $40,230 USD.

Since then, the damage has been reassessed at $443 million pesos, or $8.8 million USD

Other reports of damage include uprooted trees, fallen electrical posts, and numerous blackouts in Luzon.

Aftermath
In the Philippines, Nueva Vizcaya's provincial board passed a resolution that declared the province under a state of "calamity", allowing the release of $20 million pesos, or $402,290 USD from the province's calamity fund.

Power has been confirme to have been restored in most of Isabela and Nueva Vizcaya.

The Office of Civil Defense (OCD) stated that the Army, the Coast Guard, and the Navy were told to give assistance to the victims of the typhoon.

The noted that many of the agency's different branches were assisting the storm victims since Monday morning.

Current storm information
At 2100 October 31, the  (JMA) reported the center of Typhoon Cimaron to be near. It had maximum 10-minute sustained winds of 80 (150, 90 ), with a minimum central pressure of 950 , and was moving almost stationary. At 1800 UTC, the (JTWC) reported the center of Typhoon 22W to be located about 270  (500, 310 ) south-southeast of , with maximum 1-minute sustained winds of 100 knots (175 km/h, 110 mph), gusting to 125 knots (230 km/h, 145 mph).

Vietnam is being very careful with this system, andplanned on evacuating 200,000 people from the country, even though it is expected that Cimaron will continue west-northwest and then curve northward. Due to the size of the system, the outer rainband of the cyclone may be felt in Vietnam.

On November 1, the evacuations were put on hold when the Vietnamese realized that Cimaron would have little impact on them.


 * See the latest JMA advisory in English on Typhoon Cimaron.
 * See the latest JTWC advisory on Typhoon 22W.