PHILIPPINES CARE Prepares to Respond to Typhoon Maysak in the Philippines

Category 4 storm expected to make landfall Saturday or Sunday

MANILA, Philippines, April 2, 2014 -  Typhoon Maysak (locally known as Chedeng) has entered the Philippines area of responsibility Wednesday evening maintaining its strength with maximum sustained winds of 180 km/h near the centre and gusts of up to 215 km/h.

Maysak, which was already downgraded to a typhoon from being a super typhoon by the US Navy's Joint Typhoon Warning Center, is still projected to bring heavy rains and strong winds. The typhoon is expected to make landfall by either Saturday evening or Sunday morning in the vicinity of Quezon, Aurora, and Isabela provinces in Northern Philippines.

CARE is closely monitoring the typhoon situation and coordinating with UNOCHA, the National Disaster Risk Reduction & Management Council and international non-government organization networks in Manila.

CARE emergency staff in Manila, Central and Northern Luzon are on stand-by to immediately respond if needed and in coordination with CARE’s local partners present in the areas that will be affected.

“Our emergency team is ready to make rapid assessments in affected areas on the immediate needs of the affected people after the landfall. We will be ready to respond if needed,” said Alex Maclean, CARE Philippines’ Country Director.

According to state weather bureau PAGASA, the entire country will experience partly cloudy to cloudy skies with isolated rainshowers and thunderstorms in the next 24 hours. Local government units have advised communities to prepare for landslides, flashfloods and storm surges.

CARE has worked in the Philippines since 1949, providing emergency relief when disaster strikes and helping communities prepare for disasters. CARE and our local partners in the Philippines continue to help communities affected by the devastating Typhoon Haiyan in 2013 and last year’s Tyhpoon Hagupit,  helping them to recover through shelter repair and disaster-resilient livelihoods.

CARE's emergency response teams specialise in providing life-saving assistance. CARE has more than six decades of experience helping people prepare for disasters, providing lifesaving assistance when a crisis hits, and helping communities recover after the emergency has passed.                                                             

Media contacts:
Spokesperson: Alex Maclean, Country Director +639175106974 [email protected]
Information Management and Communications Officer:  Dennis Amata +639175108150 [email protected]

*For updates on Typhoon Maysak and CARE’s emergency actions, please follow us on Twitter: @CAREphl