FYT's video: STATE OF CALAMITY: First-hand look at the devastation in Northern Samar captured by drone

UNDER STATE OF CALAMITY: First-hand look at the devastation in Northern Samar captured by drone NORTHERN SAMAR (FYT, May 20, 2020, Updated) - The entire province of Northern Samar was placed under a state of calamity due to the devastation caused by Typhoon Ambo (Vongfong), Governor Edwin Ongchuan announced on Wednesday, May 20. The first typhoon that hit the country in 2020 brought massive flooding to the province, affecting at least 360,000 individuals and 125,000 families, the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (PDRRMO) reported. Drone footage captured by Francis Alfon Abuque on May 15 shows floodwaters covering land in Las Navas, a rice-producing town of about 38,000 people. The area is prone to floods, but according to Abuque, a teacher at San Fernando Elementary School, this is the worst devastation that he has seen in the poor town. According to Pagasa Northern Samar, Catarman experienced winds maximum wind speeds of 126 km/h (Signal no. 3) during Typhoon Ambo's closest approach to the area with 306 mm of rainfall observed within a 24-hour period or twice the amount of normal rainfall in a month. ✅ URGENT APPEAL The PDRRMO said these are the urgent needs of affected towns: ▪️Medicines for primary health care ▪️Rice, canned goods, noodles, milk ▪️Hygiene kits and toiletries ▪️Shelter repair kits, tarpaulins, malongs, folding beds, and mosquito nets The province also needs more personal protective equipment (PPE) and transportation services for frontliners. It has been placed under general community quarantine due to the COVID-19 threat. “While we render our services for our fellow Nortehanons, we strongly advise everyone to strictly abide by the precautionary measures and guidelines released by the DOH (Dapartment of Health) because COVID-19 is still a threat,” Ongchuan said. Typhoon Ambo struck parts of Samar island and Luzon in a time of pandemic from May 14 to 16 - FYT