The Ilocos Regional Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (RDRRMC-1) has escalated its alert status to red starting at 8 a.m. on Thursday, November 14, 2024, in response to the looming threat of Super Typhoon Ofel, internationally known as Usagi. The council’s Emergency Operations Center in Malasiqui, Pangasinan, has also initiated the Charlie Emergency Preparedness and Response Protocol, signaling a high level of risk due to the typhoon’s expected impact on Northern Luzon.
As Super Typhoon Ofel advances, the northeastern part of mainland Cagayan, including the municipalities of Santa Ana and Gonzaga, has been placed under Tropical Cyclone Wind Signal No. 5. The red alert status triggers a series of preventive measures by RDRRMC-1, including the issuance of regular warnings and advisories, the activation of all response clusters, the suspension of work and classes, the preemptive evacuation of communities in high-risk areas, and the strategic deployment of rapid response teams.
Member agencies of RDRRMC-1 are urged to elevate their alert status to red, activate their Emergency Operations Centers, and provide reports on anticipated needs and actions taken. According to the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA), at 11 a.m., the eye of Ofel was approximately 135 km northeast of Echague, Isabela, moving west northwestward at 15 kph. The typhoon is expected to make landfall on the eastern coast of Cagayan Thursday afternoon and traverse the Babuyan Channel that night, potentially making another landfall or closely passing the Babuyan Islands.
In the Ilocos Region, areas under Tropical Cyclone Wind Signal No. 3 include the northern part of Ilocos Norte, specifically Pagudpud, Adams, and Dumalneg. The rest of Ilocos Norte is under Signal No. 2, while Ilocos Sur and the northern part of La Union, including Luna, Sudipen, Bangar, Santol, San Gabriel, Bagulin, Bacnotan, Balaoan, and San Juan, are under Signal No. 1.