Destructive typhoon “Tisoy” (international name “Kammuri”) will soon be retired by the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration from its list of tropical cyclone names due to its massive damage to infrastructure and agriculture.
Decommissioning names from the list of tropical cyclone names depends on the cost of damages to infrastructure and agriculture, which should amount to P1 billion and or over 300 casualties, according to PAGASA weather specialist Ariel Rojas.
As of yesterday, the amount of infrastructure and agricultural damage due to Tisoy in Central and Southern Luzon, Bicol region, and Western Visayas has reached P4.589 billion. Tisoy left five people dead.
Considering that the amount of damage to agriculture and infrastructure exceeded P1 billion, Rojas said PAGASA will likely decommission or retire the name Tisoy from its list of tropical cyclone names.
So far, Tisoy is the only tropical cyclone that will be retired this year.
The decommissioning of “extraordinarily destructive storms” has been practiced by PAGASA since February 1979.
National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council Executive Director Ricardo Jalad said there were 328,296 damaged infrastructure in the Cordillera Administrative Region, Ilocos, Central Luzon, Calabarzon, Mimaropa, Bicol, Western Visayas, Eastern Visayas, and Caraga.
Almost 361,000 families or 1,560,463 persons residing in 3,044 barangays in Central Luzon, Bicol, Eastern Visayas, and Caraga were affected by Tisoy. (Ellalyn Ruiz)