Typhoon Ambo made its first landfall in San Policarpio, Eastern Samar at 12:15 p.m. on a Thursday, according to the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA). Over 13,000 residents and hundreds of travelers in the Samar provinces were forced to evacuate their homes, a risky move amidst the COVID-19 pandemic the country is facing.
From the initial reports, 3,158 persons in Northern Samar, 2,225 in Samar, and 601 in Eastern Samar were relocated to evacuation centers. The Philippine National Police (PNP) also reported two cases of injury due to a flying debris when Typhoon Ambo made its contact with the province.
“Several structures have been damaged, mostly houses made of light materials, and fishing boats. As to the exact numbers, we are still assessing to determine the extent of damage caused by the typhoon,” said PNP Eastern Visayas spokesperson Col. Ma. Bella Rentuaya. In addition, several major roads are rendered not passable due to potential dangers such as landslides, uprooted trees, unstable electric posts, and flooding. 24 towns in Northern Samar, 18 in Samar, four in Eastern Samar, and two in Biliran experience power outages due to damaged power transmission lines.
Maintenance workers have been deployed by the Department of Public Works and Highways to assess and clear out roadblocks caused by the typhoon.
Ambo was last observed in Claveria, Masbate with maximum sustained winds of up to 125 kilometers per hour (kph) near the center and gustiness of up to 165 kph moving northwest at 15 kph.
