Typhoon Nika displaces over 10K in Aurora, Isabela

Typhoon Nika (international name: Toraji) has led to the evacuation of more than 10,464 individuals from Aurora and Isabela provinces as of Monday, November 11.

In Aurora alone, a total of 2,651 families or 7,535 individuals were displaced due to the effects of Nika, with 2,126 families or 6,034 people inside evacuation centers and the rest staying with relatives or friends.

Elson Egargue, head of the Aurora Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office, reported that heavy rains and strong winds caused widespread power outages in Dilasag, Casiguran, and Dinalungan, while a felled electric post due to strong winds blocked a road in Barangay Diteki, San Luis town.

In Isabela alone, at least 5,220 individuals from 1,783 families have been evacuated from 16 towns across the province, with reported flooding and damage to crops amounting to PHP7.4 million in rice crops and PHP80,000 in corn and cassava.

As Typhoon Nika intensified upon making landfall at 8:10 a.m., TCWS No. 4 was issued for Dilasag and Casiguran in Aurora, while Signal No. 7 has been declared for Isabela’s affected areas; however, as of posting time, the province was under Tropical Cyclone Wind Signal No. 1.

Family food packs have been prepared for distribution to the northern part of both provinces, including towns like Dinalungan, Casiguran, and Dilasag, with a liquor ban imposed across Isabela in response to the typhoon.