Super Typhoon Uwan is tearing through Northern Luzon, forcing Isabela to evacuate almost 3,400 residents.

ISABELA More than 3,400 people were displaced from their homes in a number of Isabela municipalities as super typhoon Uwan continued to lash Northern Luzon with powerful winds and torrential rains.

According to the Provincial Social Welfare and Development Office (PSWDO), 3,494 families, or 10,376 individuals, have sought safety in authorized evacuation centers spread around the province.

Residents of Barangay Laoag, San Agustin, who resided near the stream, were among those forced to evacuate when floodwaters began to rise rapidly in the region. “The water is rising swiftly because the source of the water here is the rain in Quirino, Aurora, Vizcaya,” said Koleen Hanz Petrola, a San Agustin Local Disaster Risk Reduction and Management (LDRRM) officer. She added that other residents choose to stay with neighbors or family as part of the community’s “adopt a neighbor” concept.

“The other family would travel to their friends or relatives who have higher residences after the other family had visited the center first,” Petrola explained.

Residents of Isabela, Ilocos, were forced to flee due to “Uwan.”

The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) informed local government units (LGUs) on Sunday about the mandatory evacuation protocols and how to handle those who refuse to leave high-risk areas. In a statement, the DILG said, “Every effort must be made to convince residents to move to safer ground.”

“Make it very clear that the evacuation’s goal is to save lives, not to take away their belongings or rights.”

The DILG also underlined that the Local Government Code and Republic Act No. 10121 give LGUs and the Philippine National Police (PNP) the authority to enforce forced evacuation in situations of immediate danger, provided that the operations are conducted cooperatively and with the proper documentation. In Barangay Busilelao, Echague, many families decide to stay in their houses, fortifying them to withstand the typhoon’s impacts. Locals were seen trimming tree branches and securing their roofs. Using bamboo poles, Maricel Dulay and her husband strengthened their roof to prevent strong winds from blowing it away.

“They really took down my clothes rack to bind the bayog and stop it from rising.””They said there will be a massive storm,” Dulay said. Barangay officials also visited homes to advise residents to exercise caution, especially those near the Gucab Bridge, which could overflow if the heavy rains persist.

“When the water rises, it will reach as far as ‘Welcome to Busilelao’. They should be cautious because it is a strong storm,” Barangay Captain Joey Agraam suggested. As of this afternoon, both the Gucab Bridge in Echague and the Masaya Sur Bridge in San Agustin are still operational. According to the Magat River Integrated Irrigation System (NIA-MARIIS) of the National Irrigation Administration, the three gates of the Magat Dam are open as of 1:00 PM on November 9, 2025, a total of five (5) meters.

According to NIA-MARIIS, the dam has been releasing water early since November 6 in anticipation of Super Typhoon #UwanPH’s intense rains. As authorities continue to monitor water levels, residents in low-lying and flood-prone areas are encouraged to exercise caution and heed the advice of local officials.

Signal No. 5 is raised in several places as ‘Uwan’ intensifies into a super typhoon.