TACLOBAN CITY (PIA) -- Member-agencies of the Regional Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (RDRRMC) in Eastern Visayas are now preparing as Tropical Storm Rai (local name Odette) intensifies into Severe Tropical Storm which is expected to enter the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR) Tuesday night or Wednesday morning.

In a memorandum issued by Lord Byron Torrecarion, regional director of the Office of Civil Defense and RDRRMC 8 chairperson, the RDRRMC Emergency Preparedness and Response (EPR) Protocol has activated the Charlie Protocol in anticipation of the possible effects or impacts of Odette.

Relative to this, all local DRRMCs in Biliran, Leyte, Southern Leyte, Samar, Eastern Samar, Northern Samar, and the cities of Tacloban and Ormoc are likewise directed to activate their EPR Protocols. However, the EPR protocols are subject to change based on updates on the hazard situation and risk levels.

During the PDRA Analyst and Core Group Meeting today, Director Torrecarion urged all RDRRMC members and LDRRMCs to keep the communication lines open for easy dissemination of information and coordination.

Since Tuesday morning, the Emergency Operation Center in the region has been established and operational.

The Mines and Geosciences Bureau in Eastern Visayas has also released an advisory indicating the list of municipalities, cities, municipalities and barangays in the region which are most likely to be affected by the said weather disturbance.

Data released by MGB-8 revealed that 3,124 barangays in the region are likely to be affected by the storm which is susceptible to landslides and flooding.

Of the said figure, 593 barangays are located in Eastern Samar, 1,389 in Leyte, 517 in Northern Samar, 125 in Samar, and 500 in Southern Leyte.

Meanwhile, the Department of Health Eastern Visayas Center for Health Development has raised a white code alert status in addition to the Code Red Alert Status for COVID-19.

As of Tuesday, the Department of Social Welfare and Development Region 8 has available stockpiles of 20,600 family food packs amounting to P10,385,473.31 with a standby fund amounting to P4,200, 000 earmarked for disaster response.

Per Pagasa weather update issued at 11 a.m. Tuesday, the center of the Severe Tropical Storm “RAI” was estimated based on all available data at 1,165 km East of Mindanao (7.3°N, 136.4°E) with maximum sustained winds of 95 km/h near the center and gustiness of up to 115 km/h moving west northwestward at 30 km/h. Once inside PAR, the domestic name “Odette” will be assigned to this tropical cyclone.

To ensure the safety of the public, the Barangay DRRMCs are advised to coordinate with their City/Municipal DRRMCs to plan for any emergency, including identification of safe and suitable relocation sites or evacuation sites. (LDL/CBA/PIA-8)