Tornado rips off roof of SWU; ‘Buhawi’ blows in Borbon town

A tornado damaged school buildings of Southwestern University (SWU) on Urgello Street in Cebu City about 5:30 a.m. yesterday , one of the effects of tropical storm “Mario”.

Violent gusts of a “buhawi” or waterspout were reported between 2 a.m. and 3 a.m. in Borbon town in north Cebu.

Some farm animals were killed, but no buildings were destroyed.

Cebu experienced incessant rains since Wednesday night, which triggered floods in several areas.

No one was reported injured when the tornado ripped off the roof of the SWU Maritime College canteen, said Alvin Santillana, operations head of the Cebu City disaster office. The roof of seven classrooms were also damaged, he added.

The canteen and classrooms were located on the third floor of three-story ABA Building located on the left side of Aznar Coliseum fronting the SWU oval.

Jonah Lafuente, SWU vice president for administration, said the tornado hit the third floor of the building used by maritime students. Rain drenched the chairs and white boards inside.

The roof of the canteen on the building’s west wing was also ripped off, he added.Lafuente said the building was vulnerable to strong winds because it was located in the open area.

Tornadoes are spawned in a thunderstorm, said Alfredo Quiblat, chief of the Pagasa weather station in Mactan.

rm activities like tornado, whirlwinds, heavy rains, lightning, thunder, or even hail,” he said.

In the Borbon incident, Quiblat said it is possible that it was struck by a whirlwind because the town is located near the coastal area while the Cebu City incident could possibly be a tornado.