Blizzard paralyzes New York, Washington, 19 dead

New York City just shy of all time record

NEW YORK/WASHINGTON -- Millions of residents, business owners and workers began digging out on Sunday from a massive blizzard that brought Washington, New York and other northeastern U.S. cities to a standstill, killing at least 19 people in several states.

The storm was the second-biggest in New York City history, with 26.8 inches by midnight Saturday, just shy of the record 26.9 inches set in 2006, the National Weather Service said.

Thirteen people were killed in weather-related car crashes in Arkansas, North Carolina, Kentucky, Ohio, Tennessee and Virginia on Saturday. One person died in Maryland and three in New York City while shoveling snow. Two died of hypothermia in Virginia, officials said.

On the New Jersey shore, a region hard-hit in 2012 by Superstorm Sandy, the storm drove flooding high tides.

After dumping about two feet of snow on the Washington area, the storm unexpectedly strengthened as it spun northward and slammed into the New York metropolitan area on Saturday, home to about 20 million people.

Winds gusting to more than 64 kph sculpted drifts many feet high, burying cars.

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo declared a state of emergency, as did 10 other governors. A ban imposed on all travel on New York City area roads and on Long Island, except for emergency vehicles, was set to end at 7 a.m. on Sunday. Bridges and tunnels into the city were also set to reopen.

Subways running above ground and trains operated by the Long Island Rail Road and Metro-North halted service on Saturday and were to be evaluated for service restoration at 6 a.m.

By early Sunday the storm had all but moved off the coastline, with remnants trailing over parts of Long Island and Cape Cod. Much of the northeast was expected to see a mix of sun and clouds on Sunday with temperatures just above freezing.

Shows, flights canceled

Given the massive storm's impact, it was too soon to tell how much Wall Street's reopening on Monday would be affected.

Broadway theaters canceled Saturday matinee and evening performances at the urging of the mayor, and a Bruce Springsteen concert set for Sunday was called off.

As an otherworldly quiet descended on the usually bustling city of 8.5 million, the nation's most populous, tourists and residents took to city streets, venturing into the expanses of parks, some on skis. Others built snowmen and had snowball fights.

Authorities in New York and New Jersey halted public transportation and the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority took the rare step of suspending operations through Sunday.

About 3,500 flights were canceled on Sunday, with more than 600 already canceled for Monday, said FlightAware.com, the aviation data and tracking website.

United Airlines said it would not operate at Washington-area airports on Sunday, and would gradually resume service on Monday. The airline plans to start "very limited operations" on Sunday afternoon at its Newark, New Jersey, hub.

The brunt of the blizzard reached the New York City area after battering Washington, where snow piled up outside the White House and famous monuments were frosted with snow.

The record high of 28 inches of snow in Washington was set in 1922 and the biggest recent snowfall was 17.8 inches in 2010.

More high tides expected

High winds battered the entire East Coast, from North Carolina to New York, reaching 70 mph in Wallops Island, Virginia, late on Friday, whipping up the tides and causing coastal flooding, said National Weather Service meteorologist Greg Gallina.

The snow also engulfed the Mid-Atlantic cities of Baltimore and Philadelphia while about 150,000 customers in North Carolina and 90,000 homes in New Jersey lost electricity. Accumulations in parts of Virginia and West Virginia reached 40 inches.

Tides higher than those caused by Superstorm Sandy three years ago pushed water onto roads along the Jersey Shore and Delaware coast and set records in Cape May, New Jersey, and Lewes, Delaware, said NWS meteorologist Patrick O'Hara.

Some evacuations were reported along the New Jersey shore. Wildwood, a town of more than 5,000 people about 48 km southwest of Atlantic City on a barrier island, saw some of the worst flooding.

Emergency workers in inflatable boats rescued more than 100 people from homes, said Wildwood Fire Chief Christopher D'Amico.

Water levels reached chest-height in parts of Wildwood and refrigerators and soda machines floated down the main street.

Further north, barrier islands near Atlantic City were also experiencing significant tidal flooding, said Linda Gilmore, the county's public information officer.

The high tides were set to return on Sunday morning.

The storm developed along the Gulf Coast, dropping snow over Arkansas, Tennessee and Kentucky on Friday. On the coast, warm, moist air from the Atlantic Ocean collided with cold air to form the massive winter system, meteorologists said.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Sagip Kapamilya accepts aid for 'Pablo' victims

MANILA, Philippines – ABS-CBN’s Sagip Kapamilya is accepting donations for the victims of typhoon “Pablo”, which devastated Mindanao on Tuesday.

Sagip Kapamilya will start receiving cash donations through the following bank accounts:

Peso Account
Bank Name: BANCO DE ORO
Bank Account No: 393- 011-4199
Bank Account Name: ABS-CBN Foundation Inc. - Sagip Kapamilya
Branch: Sct. Albano, Quezon Avenue, Quezon City
Swift Code: BNORPHMM

Dollar Account
Bank Name: BANCO DE ORO
Bank Account No: 393-008-1622
Bank Account Name: ABS-CBN Foundation Inc. - Sagip Kapamilya
Branch: Sct. Albano, Quezon Avenue, Quezon City
Swift Code: BNORPHMM

Peso Account
Bank Name: BANK OF THE PHILIPPINE ISLANDS
Bank Account No: 305-111-2775
Bank Account Name: ABS-CBN Foundation Inc. - Sagip Kapamilya
Branch: West Triangle, Quezon City
Swift Code: BOPIPHMM

Dollar Account
Bank Name: BANK OF THE PHILIPPINE ISLANDS
Bank Account No: 305-402-7035
Bank Account Name: ABS-CBN Foundation Inc. - Sagip Kapamilya
Branch: West Triangle, Quezon City
Swift Code: BOPIPHMM

Peso Account
Bank Name: PHILIPPINE NATIONAL BANK
Bank Account No: 419-539-5000-13
Bank Account Name: ABS-CBN Foundation Inc. - Sagip Kapamilya
Branch: Timog, Quezon City
Swift Code: PNBMPHMM

Dollar Account
Bank Name: PHILIPPINE NATIONAL BANK
Account Number: 419-539-5000-21
Account Name: ABS-CBN Foundation, Inc.-Sagip Kapamilya
Branch: Timog, Quezon City
Swift Code: PNBMPHMM

Peso Account
Bank Name: METROBANK
Account Number: 636-3-636-08808-1       
Account Name: ABS - CBN Foundation, Inc. - Sagip Kapamilya
Branch: Examiner Quezon Avenue, Quezon City
Swift Code: MBTCPHMM

Please send a copy of the deposit/transaction slip to Telefax Number: 411-4995 or email us at sagip@abs-cbn.com including your NAME, ADDRESS, CONTACT NUMBER and TYPHOON NAME for verification and issuance of official receipt.

You may bring your cash or check donations directly to Sagip Kapamilya Warehouse at #13 Examiner Street West Triangle, Quezon City(between Quezon Avenue and West Avenue) from 8am-8pm. For inquiries please call telephone number (+00 63 2) 394-9272

Sagip Kapamilya will also start receiving in-kind donations from 8 a.m.-8 p.m. (Monday-Sunday)

You may bring your in-kind donations directly to Sagip Kapamilya Warehouse at #13 Examiner Street West Triangle, Quezon City (between Quezon Avenue and West Avenue) from 8 a.m.-8 p.m.

For inquiries please call the Sagip Kapamilya Hotline Numbers: 411-4995, 394-9272 and 0917-887-4411.

 source: abs-cbnnews.com

'Pablo' death toll climbs to 274 – NDRRMC

The death toll from typhoon “Pablo” has climbed to 274, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Center (NDRRMC) said on Wednesday.

NDRRMC executive director Benito Ramos said most of the deaths were caused by landslides and flashfloods, particularly in Compostela Valley and Davao Oriental, where the typhoon made landfall Tuesday morning.

Ramos said 339 people were reported injured while 279 are still missing.

A separate report from Interior and Local Secretary Mar Roxas, meanwhile, said 319 people are reported missing in New Bataan town, Compostela Valley alone.

Lt. Col. Lyndon Paniza, spokesman of the Armed Forces of the Philippines 10th Infantry Division, said among the casualties in New Bataan were 4 soldiers of the 66th Infantry Division.

Twenty-three soldiers were hurt while 7 remain missing.

Paniza said the soldiers were helping residents cross a river when they were swept away by flashfloods.

“Nandoon sila sa area para mag-conduct ng rescue operation. ‘Yung kanilang company headquarters ay nasa lugar na ‘yun,” he told dzMM.

Social Welfare Secretary Corazon Soliman and other local officials described scenes of utter devastation with houses and other structures in some towns and villages ripped apart by Pablo, considered the most powerful storm to hit the country this year.

"There are very few structures left standing in the town of Cateel," she told AFP.

"We need to rush to these areas body bags, medicines, dry clothes and most importantly tents, because survivors are living out in the open after the typhoon blew away homes and rooftops."

Pablo weakens

Pablo (international name Bopha) slammed into Mindanao Tuesday morning, uprooting trees and blowing away homes with 210 kilometer per hour gusts.

But the typhoon weakened as it hit land, and is now packing winds of 120 kph and gusts of up to 150 kph.

PAGASA said the typhoon is expected to leave the Philippine Area of Responsibility Thursday night or early Friday.

It was last spotted 110 kilometers northwest of Roxas, Palawan.

Signal 3 is still up in northern Palawan and the Calamian group of islands. The rest of Palawan is under signal 2.

Signal 1 is hoisted over Occidental Mindoro.

Pablo is the 16th storm to hit the country this year. In December last year, Mindanao was also ravaged by tropical storm “Sendong”, which killed more than 1,200 people and left hundreds of thousands homeless.-- With Agence France-Presse

source: abs-cbnnews.com

Filipinos in US hunker down for superstorm

Storm preparations of some Americans may seem a bit exaggerated to some Filipinos who have lived in the Philippines, a country hit by about 20 storms annually.

“Ang biruan ng mga Pinoy dito napaka-OA ng mga Amerikano. Lagi namin joke yun kasi we overprepare in a good way,” said Alladin Bacolodan, a former ABS-CBN reporter who is now a Maryland resident.

Bacolodan said Filipinos are used to typhoons. “You’ve seen the worst when you have lived in the Philippines,” he said.

However, he also admitted that megastorm Sandy is different.

“The truth is - this is really a reason to prepare because this is really unusual,” he said.

The National Hurricane Center downgraded Sandy to a post-tropical cyclone as it crashed into the US coast near Atlantic City, New Jersey. The megastorm has so far claimed the lives of 13 people in US and Canada.

Strong winds and heavy rains continue to pound most of the East Coat resulting to heavy flooding in a lot of cities and towns in at least 11 states and the District of Columbia.

Power outage is the biggest concern now with more than two million people without electricity.

The national and local government implemented stringent measures, including mandatory evacuations, imposing curfew and travel ban, to encourage people in the path of the storm to remain indoors for their own safety.

“Right now, there is a ban for you to go outside. You’re not even allowed to drive a car. You can be arrested for doing that,” Bacolodan said.

“Like today in Maryland, they’ve announced you cannot go out unless you’re a medical officer, a part of the rescue team, or working in a hospital or some medical facility.”

That, he said, gives them no other choice but to remain indoors.

“That differentiates us from there. Kasi dyan, may katigasan tayo ng ulo. Dito, kailangan talagang sumunod dahil mahuhuli ka,” he said.

60 million affected

The storm, he added, is really huge affecting about 60 million people or about 20 percent of the US population.

Of the 60 million, 460,000 are Filipinos living in at least 13 states in the east coast.

He said the highest concentration of Filipinos in the east coast is in New Jersey with 110,000; New York, 104,000; 66,000 in Virginia and about 44,000 in Maryland.

“The Philippine Embassy in D.C. and the Consulate in New York are closed today. But Ambassador Jose Cuisia issued an advisory to brace for the worst and keep an eye for each other in case someone needs help,” Bacolodan reported.

A duty officer is likewise on standby in both the embassy and the consulate to receive calls from Filipinos needing immediate help.

Filipino community leaders have been notified to keep in touch with members for any development or emergencies.

Like most residents, Filipinos there have done their part in preparing for the worst by stocking on supplies like food, water, and emergency kits.

Well prepared

In New York, ABS-CBN North America News Bureau correspondent Don Tagala said most Filipinos he knows have prepared well before the storm.

“A lot of people I know went out Sunday before the hurricane came in. They went to Filipino stores to buy canned goods, emergency supplies,” Tagala said.

In Manhattan, freelance correspondent Cat Sandoval is among the many Filipinos bracing for superstorm Sandy.

Sandoval reported to ANC that many parts of the city are already flooded, without power. She added that most residents are well prepared because of early warnings from authorities.

“I think what's really good, the mayor did a really good job of warning people, the government did as well, so people are pretty safe,” Sandoval said.

Another New York resident Bernadette Corpuz-Perez is waiting it out in her apartment.

“We’re doing ok. We were warned by Mayor Bloomberg so we stocked up on food and water. Everything is fine on our side,” she said.

Perez said Manhattan is one of the areas without power.

“Our service elevator is not working so it’s really 19 flights of stairs going down. We’ve been here since Sunday. We were warned to stay home because it’s safer. We were able to go outside this morning just to get supplies but since then we’ve been stuck here in the apartment,” she said.

It was a good thing, she said, that they were informed early on to prepare as water was also turned off.

“We're hoping it will be over soon. We don’t have TV that can guide us on what's happening outside, but so far for Manhattan, I think the worse is over,” she said.

Perez has been in New York for more than 10 years and had seen the worst kind of tragedy in the 9/11 attacks.

“Were not used to this kind of calamity in New York, but were very prepared,” said Perez.

“What's great about New York is that were always getting feedback from our politicians. So we’re warned. I’ve been here long enough to know that people are actually out there--we have policemen and firefighters ready to help,” she said.

source: abs-cbnnews.com