NDRRMC hopes preparations enough Thirty-seven areas have been placed under public storm warning signals as super typhoon "Yolanda" continued to threaten eastern Visayas, state weather bureau PAGASA said Thursday afternoon. In a press briefing, PAGASA said storm signal number 4 is now up over five areas: Eastern Samar, Samar, Leyte, Southern Leyte and Biliran Island. Storm signal number 3 has been hoisted over Northern Samar, Masbate, Northern Cebu, Bantayan Island, Siargao Island and Dinagat Province while signal number 2 is up over Romblon, Sorsogon, Albay, Burias Island, Bohol, Negros Occidental, Negros Oriental, Aklan, Capiz, Antique, Iloilo, Guimaras, Surigao Del Norte, Surigao Del Sur and Agusan del Norte. Meanwhile, storm signal number 1 was raised over Camarines Norte, Camarines Sur, Catanduanes, Mindoro Provinces, Marinduque, Northern Palawan, Calamian Group of Island, Southern Quezon, Siquijor, Misamis Oriental and Agusan del Sur. PAGASA said Yolanda is now packing maximum sustained winds of 215 kilometers per hour (kph), making it classified as a super typhoon. Yolanda has slightly gained speed, and is expected to make landfall over the southern Samar-Leyte area on Friday morning, it added. The super typhoon is expected to exit the Philippine area of responsibility (PAR) Saturday evening. Meanwhile, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) is hoping that preparations undertaken by the government and public are enough to minimize the loss of lives Yolanda may cause. ANC, November 7, 2013