‘Kalinga records zero casualties, injuries during onslaught of Tropical Storm Crising’ - Kalinga PIO

Tabuk City, Kalinga - While its neighboring provinces grapple with the devastation brought by the tropical storm “Crising,” Kalinga is fortunate to have recorded zero casualties, injuries, or widespread damage.

Report of the Kalinga Information Office on July 19 said the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (PDRRMC), through close coordination with concerned agencies and offices, confirmed that the tropical cyclone passed through the province without taking any lives or displacing families.

The only incident related to the storm was the collapse of a small store in Lower Uma, Lubuagan, caused by persistent rains that softened the soil beneath the establishment. The store owner had already received assistance from the local government unit led by Mayor Joel Tagaotao.

Overall, no families were evacuated, and no damage to infrastructure, agriculture, communication lines, or road networks was recorded.

The Kalinga PDRRMC is expected to lower its emergency operation status from red alert to blue alert this day, July 21, as Crising officially exited the Philippine Area of Responsibility on July 19, according to PAGASA.

Governor James Edduba, during the PLGU’s flag-raising ceremony, commended those who worked hard to ensure the safety of iKalingas during the storm and expressed gratitude to the Almighty as the province was spared from the worst destruction.

Crising’s devastation in Cordillera and Cagayan Valley

Tropical Storm Crising, which battered Northern Luzon last week, forced the evacuation of thousands of families and caused millions in damages to infrastructure and agriculture in Cagayan Valley.

In the province of Cagayan alone, based on the latest report of its PDRRMC, there are more than 2,000 families who were evacuated and estimated P17 million in losses to the province’s agri-fishery sector.

Baggao and Gattaran were among the most affected municipalities with 612 families (1,667 individuals) and 450 families (1,576 individuals) displaced, respectively.

In Cordillera, data from the Regional DSWD dated July 21 showed there were 19 families displaced from various provinces in the region.

Landslides and increased water levels caused damage to roads and cultivated lands. DPWH - Cordillera reported that there are six roads in the region that are currently not passable as of July 21.

These include the Claveria-Calanasan-Kabugao Road and Calanasan - Ilocos Norte Rd in Apayao; Kennon Rd, Dalupirip Rd, and Governor Bado Dangwa National Rd in Benguet; and the Balbalan-Pinukpok Rd in Kalinga.

As of this writing, there are no available reports for the overall number of deaths or injuries in said regions.

Local government units, concerned agencies, and the private sector are now working together to address the devastation left by the storm. Relief operations are ongoing, and other forms of assistance will be provided to the affected families/individuals.