OCD 7 Raises Blue Alert in Cebu, CenVis For Storm Henry

(PNA) — The Office of Civil Defense (OCD) 7 has raised the alert level to blue in Cebu and the rest of Central Visayas in preparation for tropical storm Henry which entered the Philippine Area of Responsibility Friday morning.

The blue alert level was raised even if the region is not expected to take a direct hit from the tropical cyclone.

The blue alert level was also posted on the OCD 7’s Facebook account, namely, Office of Civil Defense-Central Visayas and Tanggulang Sibil Gitnang Visayas.

“The blue alert status means that it is in preparation for a slow onset disaster and when weather advisories were disseminated to all concerned governors related to that slow onset disaster and for this case, typhoon Henry,” OCD 7 operations officer Engineer Verneil Balaba said.

Pag-asa Mactan chief Al Quiblat said Henry, the seventh tropical cyclone to hit the Philippines, will likely not make a landfall but will enhance the southwest monsoon or “habagat” which translates to rains on Saturday and Sunday.

Henry, Quiblat said, is currently moving in a slow pacing with a lesser chance of hitting landmass and with similar track as tropical cyclone Florita, the first storm to enter the country in July. (PNA) CTB/EB