By: Margaret Padilla
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Karding (Noru), the 11th tropical cyclone to hit the Philippines in 2022, pounded Central Luzon
with ferocious wind and massive rain. Northern Luzon and Southern Luzon were also hit and devastated.
The most severe typhoon to hit the country this year made landfall in two locations: the coast of Burdeos, Quezon province, in the late afternoon as a super typhoon, and Dingalan, Aurora, in the evening as a typhoon.
According to a news update by Rappler, it then subsided as it slammed across the main Luzon area overnight as it moved over Nueva Ecija, Tarlac, and Zambales, forcing thousands of people to seek refuge in emergency shelters.
Then, it made an early-morning appearance above Zambales’ coastal waters on September 26.
When Karding left the northern Philippines on Monday, it killed five rescuers, flooded various areas like Bulacan and Nueva Ecija, caused power shortages, and required the government to take emergency measures such as suspension of classes and government work.
In Bulacan province, where many places were submerged by floods, Governor Daniel Fernando reported that five rescuers perished while attempting to save the lives of fellow countrymen. They were crushed by a collapsing wall and swept away in the raging floods. They made the decision to use a boat to rescue those trapped in floodwaters when their truck became stranded.
More than 17,000 people have been transferred to emergency shelters in Quezon City alone from communities at high risk of tidal surges, flooding, and landslides.
The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) said that infrastructure damage in Mimaropa has so far been estimated to be worth P1 million.
NDRRMC reported on Monday that Karding has affected 643 people, or 164 families, in 28 barangays in the Philippine provinces of Cagayan, Mimaropa, Bicol, Western Visayas, and Cordillera.
According to Meralco, more than 1 million customers have experienced intermittent power disruptions since Sunday, September 25, with Bulacan, Rizal, and Marikina accounting for the majority of the outages.
Meanwhile, the NDRRM claims that two highways in Bicol are not passable.
After Typhoon Karding hit the region surrounding the capital on Monday, September 26, workers from the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority gathered rubbish that had washed ashore in Manila Bay, according to Rappler. (Photo: Panukulan, Quezon LGU)